Prayer for a Familie O LORD our GOD we pray thee bee mercifull unto us stirre up we beseech thee our dull hearts out of a true sence of our sinnes and miseries and a lively faith in CHRIST JESVS and his pretious deservings to lift up our soules in prayers and praises unto thee O LORD how are we bound to magnifie thy great Name for all the loving kindnesse and great mercies vouchsafed us for preserving us this night past from the ills and dangers which no doubt have befallen many of our brethren as good by nature as our selves for refreshing our fraile bodies with quiet rest and sleepe and bringing us in health in strength and vigour of body to see the light of this day for that it hath pleased thee to reveale unto us the mysteries of godlinesse and some measure of saving truth which thou hast hid from many thousands of the greatest and wisest of the world For that thou hast preserv'd us from many fearefull transgressions and excesses of iniquity to which our corrupt nature would otherwise have led us For giving us the being of reasonable creatures and being borne in this blessed time and part of the world when and where thy glorious Gospell is on foot for the continuance of our health and strength of body for the usefullnesse and vigour of the powers of our soules and sences of which for abusing them we have deserv'd ere this to have beene fearefully deprived For our ingenuous and godly education for our Christian company and good counsell we have many times by thy mercies enjoyed For thy Word and Sacraments the glorious meanes of our conversion and continuance in grace For many gracious mercies by which thou hast laboured gently and fairely to draw us unto thee For those judgements which thou hast sent to humble us and to bring us to repentance For the inlarging of our time for storing our selves with Grace and comfort against the day of our visitation For our freedome from many miseries crosses and vexations which befall other our brethren better then our selves For that it hath pleased thee by thine everlasting decree out of thine owne boundlesse goodnesse and blessed pleasure to save us from many thousand others which perish everlastingly and to make us heires of endlesse happinesse as we are verily perswaded in the world to come For preventing and following us with thy saving graces O LORD we pray thee to open our eyes daily more and more to see and acknowledge these thy great and undeserved mercies upon us and to enlarge our hearts sincerely and feelingly to magnifie thy great Name for the same And as wee humbly intreate thee upon the knees of our soules for pardon and remission of all other sinnes so especially for our monstrous and harefull ingratitude for thy great and many mercies towards us most wicked and sinfull creatures We are ashamed and confounded that so much favour and mercy and long forbearance should bee extended to such rebellious and carnall wretches as we are For besides that naturall pollution we drew from the loines of our sinnefull parents wee have heapt up a great measure of actuall sinnes since we had the use and exercise of reason and power and ability to sinne O LORD our GOD wee humbly beseech thee to give us a full sight of them all and a true sence of thy great wrath indignation against them Let us have remorse and compunction in our hearts and consciences for them all in our affections a perfect hate and detestation of the least corruptions and infirmities And bee thou pleas'd gracious Father thorowly to purge and wash our soules with the precious blood of thy deare Sonne deliver us quite wee beseech thee from the guilt horrour and damnation due unto them And grant that hereafter wee may walke conscionably and carefully in all our waies that we suffer no more our poore soules to bee stained with these foule pollutions we have formerly delighted in Wee confesse and acknowledge to our shame and confusion that wee have many times vowed betwixt thee and our owne soules that wee would watch more carefully over our owne hearts least they should breed and nourish profane idle and wandering thoughts and imaginations over ourtalke least wee should offend with our tongue that wee would be more zealous and faithfull in the duties of our calling in sanctifying thy Sabbaths receiving thy Sacraments hearing thy Word in Christian conference company meditation and all other holy duties but alas all these good purposes have beene but as the morning dew we have even in short time broken our vowes growne cold againe dull and formall to the much greefe of thy good Spirit and discomfort of our owne soules Now LORD wee pray thee deale mercifully with us in this point forgive our many frailties and infirmities herein and at length thorowly sanctifie us draw our affections from the false glory and sinfull pleasures of this vaine world and fasten them there where true sound and lasting comfort is to be enjoyed Give us wise and understanding hearts that we may see and perceive those things that belong to thy glory and the salvation of our own soules and sanctified wills and holy affections to follow and pursue them with all earnestnesse zeale and fervency of spirit Let us even this day get some ground against Satan and forwardnesse in the course of Sanctification Let us store our selves with some new godly purposes and holy resolutions to doe thy will and keepe thy righteous commandements Fill our hearts daily more and more with all saving graces and the virtues of CHRIST JESVS Cause us perpetually to keepe in minde and consider that we are but as pilgrims and strangers here in this world that wee must shortly depart hence and never returne againe but presently come to judgement and receive an everlasting reward according to our workes Weaken wee beseech thee daily more and more the power of sinne in us let us feele it decay and loose its hold and haunt in us and strengthen in us the power of grace the new man and all spirituall comforts Neither pray wee for our selves onely but for all thy deare children fellow heires with us of everlasting happinesse in what part of the world soever they be LORD we pray thee to be continually present with them with all thy comforts and mercies let thy good Spirit leade them into all truth let the wings of thy providence and protection stretch over them all And such as yet lie in profanesse and under the shadow of death hasten their conversion reveale unto them the glorious comforts of grace and let the powers of darknesse hold them no longer LORD be mercifull unto this sinnefull Kingdome wherein we live and enter not into judgement with the horrible rebellions and fearefull abominations thereof Stay the rage of prophanesse that fearefully overflowes in all places to thy great dishonour and griefe of thy children Stop the crying sinnes of the time and recover thine
turne thine indignation away from us It is a heavy judgement and horrible sicknesse which devoures now and eates up thy people in our chiefe City And is fearefully scattered in many places abroad It is called thine hand thy sword the stroake of thine Angell the snare of the Fowler the noysome Pestilence the terrour by night the arrow that flieth by day the destruction that wasteth by noone-day and walketh in the darknesse O Lord our God let us be humbled proportionably to the extraordinary terror of thy heavie hand Thou Lord art acquainted with the anguish of all hearts with the griefes and groanes the necessities and wants of all distressed ones And all those poore soules that are still afflicted under thy mighty hand with the grievous Pestilence in any part of this Kingdome lie in a most rufull comfortlesse and desolate state ordinarily they are destitute of all outward comforts they want the Physitions both of soule and body the presence and comforts of their friends neighbours and all those who are dearest unto them They are vexed with the rage of a horrible disease assaulted with the fearefull sight of all their sinnes the pangs of death and terrour of thy dreadfull Tribunall we humbly beseech thee most mercifull Lord to ease comfort succour and relieve them all farre above that which we can either thinke or speake in their behalfe Especially Holy Father we pray thee blesse every one of them with a right and holy use of this thine heavy hand upon them give them saving sorrow and true repentance the blood of thy Sonne pardon of all their sins perswasion of thy love peace of conscience patience to endure their great extremities and a full recompence of all their outward desolations with the sweete and inward consolations of thy blessed Spirit And so sanctifie good LORD this sore judgement to the whole Kingdome that we may all come from under thy visiting hand as gold out of the furnace refined from the drosse of our corruptions and filth of sin and so fitted and sanctified for the more sincere and glorious service of thy great Majesty unto our dying day O LORD our GOD thou beholdest now from Heaven what hearts we bring now into thy glorious presence how full of deadnesse earthly-mindednesse listlesnesse and unfitnesse to performe any holy duty with heavenly minds and spirituall affections we pray thee to stirre them up and quicken them by thy Holy Spirit that they may bee ever feeling and fruitfull in the use of all the Ordinances give every one of us spirituall ability and helpe from Heaven to goe through it with life and power effectually and pleasingly to thy great Majesty in the name of CHRIST An other Prayer for confession of sinne O Eternall GOD great and fearefull strong and mighty yet mercifull and gratious long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousand forgiving iniquity transgression and sin we poore wretches vilest creatures doe heere humbly cast downe our selves at the foot of thy great and glorious Majesty acknowledging from our hearts that we are most unworthy to come into thy presence or to call upon thy dreadfull and Holy Name For thou art a GOD of infinite Majesty and glory and dwellest in light that no man can attaine unto and we are vile wormes dust and ashes dwelling in houses of flesh and Tabernacles of clay wherein we can doe nothing but sin Thou art a consuming fire and we are even as stubble before thee ready to bee devoured by thy fierce wrath if thou shouldest deale with us as we have deserved Thou art a GOD of pure eyes and canst not behold iniquity and we are encompassed and laden with all manner of pollutions and sinfullnesse Beside that bloudy rebellion with Adam in Paradise and cursed Leprosy of Originall sin which hath universally corrupted all the faculties and powers of body and soule filling them with all Hellish poyson confusion and pronenesse to ill The whole world hath beene worse for us since wee came into it There is nothing in Heaven or in Earth but so farre as in us lay we have polluted wronged dishonoured and abused it one way or other 1. We have villanously stroke at the Apple of thy pure eye Holy Father many and many a time with filthy thoughts abominable lusts and fearefull provocations we have pressed thy mercies even as a cart is pressed which is full of sheaves we have shamefully abused the riches of thy goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering leading us to repentance 2. We have dishonoured thy deare Sonne by despising him in his Ministery neglecting his many gratious invitations persecuting him in his members and shedding his bloud in the Sacrament 3. We have grieved thy good Spirit by putting backe his holy motions or smoothering them by worldlinesse lusts and earthly delights 4. We have vexed thy blessed Angels so much as in us lies besides many other waies even in this house of thine with unreverence drowsinesse sleepinesse and the like where they are beholding with delight the misteries revealed in the Gospell 5. We have wofully abused all thy creatures they should have ministred to us continuall matter of heavenly meditation upon thy greatnesse and goodnesse power and providence c. but our earthly minds have made no such holy use of them but wee have covetously and sensually abused them to our owne ends and carnall contentments 6. Even this Kingdome gratious Father wherein we have beene borne and bread and enjoyed many good things hath beene much worse for us For we have had our hands LORD thou knowest in pulling downe upon us this horrible sicknesse of the plague of Pestilence and other judgements both temporall and spirituall and without true and timely repentance are likely enough to hasten the destroying sword and besome of destruction to make an end of us 7. We have abused all thy fatherly corrections and chastisements laid upon us in love and for our good they should have brought forth in us the peaceable and glorious fruits of Righteousnesse but they have rather begot murmuring impatiency and discontentment 8. We have abused thy mercies which have beene heaped abundantly upon us above measure and without number even to increase our security and presumption and forgetfullnesse of the evill day 9. We have abused the most gracious and glorious day of visitation that ever any people enjoyed upon earth passing over it very unprofitably like sons and daughters of confusion not gathering any such stock and store of grace against our ending houre as we might plentifully have done 10. We have abused all thy blessed Ordinances those heavenly conduits of all spirituall blessings grace and comfort By our unpreparednesse before irreverence in the use of them fruitlesnesse and want of practise afterward 11. We have wretchedly abused our owne bodies and soules by abandoning them to the service of Satan and making all our members instruments of unrighteousnesse to sin Fearefully were they infected with Originall sin at first but we
owne glory out of the hands of thy creatures whosoever they be Glorifie thine owne selfe and refresh and cheere up thy children Prosper thy Gospell amongst us grant it a free and comfortable passage send it where it is not keepe and prosper it where it is let thy blessings ever follow it and thy mighty power uphold it Oppose thy selfe against them that oppose against it and let them know that it is thine owne glory that is in hand and that they set themselves against the mighty GOD of Heaven and Earth Disburden thy Church wee pray thee of all ignorant factious and scandalous Ministers and plant in their roomes men of care and conscience sensible of the great charge they have undertaken truly fearing thee and holding it their greatest comfort in this world to save the soules of men Blesse we pray thee our Prince and people Magistrates and Ministers all degrees and estates from the highest to the lowest Sanctifie and furnish every one of them with all needfull graces fit both for the faithfull discharge of those particular places wherein thou hast set them and that they may doe thee the best and utmost service they can possibly Direct and guide with the Spirit of wisedome all his Counsellors that they may chiefly and principally advise those things which may make for the advancement of thy glory and comfort of thy children Be mercifull to all Christian Families to this familie here present continue thy grace and mercy upon it and let thy loving kindnesse and comforts of salvation never depart from it Remember in mercy and love all mourners in Sion Comfort all those that are any waies afflicted binde up the broken and contrite heart with thy sweetest comforts Give strength and life of grace to those that are babes in CHRIST recover those that are fallen preserve those that stand uphold those that are declining continue all in their first love c. and increase in every one of them daily more and more christian resolution zeale and forwardnesse that they may glorifie thee in all their courses farre more then ever they have done heretofore Lastly we pray thee be mercifull to all those whom thou hast made in more speciall manner the instruments of thy goodnesse and favour unto us all that thou hast bound unto us with any bond of nature of friendship or any way made deare unto us Those who remember us in their prayers or commend themselves to our most unworthy supplications LORD we pray thee bee mercifull unto them let the light of thy countenance shine upon them put Religion thy feare and love every day more and more into their hearts and soules and let the comforts of godlinesse ever rest upon them And grant that wee may all with one minde heart and soule love feare reverence and glorifie thy great Name that so after a few daies spent religiously in this vaine and wretched world wee may live and raigne with thee everlastingly in the glorious and endlesse pleasures of the life to come Heare us c. Another Morning Prayer O LORD we beseech thee gratiously to accept this our Morning sacrifice of prayers and thankes-giving that we poore wretches offer unto thee the GOD of all glory and Majesty LORD take from us all dullnesse of heart all wicked and wandring thoughts put into our soules the spirit of prayer with affection zeale and fervency that wee may rightly and reverently call upon thy great and glorious Name O Eternall GOD most mighty and most fearefull which dwellest in the highest Heavens and with thy wise providence directest all things â—o an excellent end Thou which art to the wicked and rebellious wretches a terrible Judge and consuming fire but to the humble and repentant sinners a strong tower of defence and their everlasting reward We the unworthiest of all thy creatures though the most noble by Creation for they in their kindes and severall conditions doe thee honour and service but wee whom thou hast plac'd in this world for a more excellent glorifying of thee have not onely made our selves more vile then the basest creatures and more sencelesse in thy service then the beasts that perish but have even conspir'd with Hell Satan and all the powers of darknesse to blaspheme and dishonour thy great Name to profane thy Sabbaths to breake all thy holy Lawes and Commandements Wee O LORD thus wretched and unworthy are here ashamed and confounded in thy presence for our iniquities are increased over our heads and our trespasses are growen up unto the heaven and so grievous are they that if thou shouldest require but the least of them at our hands Satan would chalenge us for his and we should never see thy face againe nor the Heavens nor the Earth nor all the goodnesse which thou hast prepared for man The thoughts of our hearts rise up in judgement against us for whereas they should be meditating of thy mercies and goodnesse of honouring thee in our vocations whereas they should be knit fast unto thy blessed Word O LORD they are for the most part idle wicked entising and full of the corruption of our raging concupiscence The vanity of our talke condemneth us for whereas our words should be spent in defending thy honour and truth in reprehending the horrible sinnes of those amongst whom wee live in giving grace to those that heare us they are for the most part full of profanesse worldlinesse and lying The wickednesse of our deeds cry continually for vengeance and curses upon us for besides our many and grosse sins even our best actions are fearefully infected with privy pride and hypocrisie whereas they should wholy and principally bee directed to thy honour and glory they are fouly stained and corrupted with by-respects of credit pleasure or profit In hearing thy blessed Word which wee should count the very crowne and garland of all our delights we feele in our selves great want of due preparation reverent attention meditation and practise In our prayers that inestimable comfort of a regenerate soule wee are grievously vexed with dullnesse wearinesse and by-thoughts In all other good duties of obedience to thy holy Commandements we want that courage zeale and spirituall wisdome which those excellent mercies thou hast vouchsafed us require at our hands O LORD for thy great mercies sake forgive us these great sinnes When we looke upon the vilenesse of our soules by reason of these many transgressions we see nothing before our eyes but thy heavy wrath and everlasting curse the torments of hell and endlesse confusion but yet herein standeth our comfort wee know that to them which truly thirst after thy kingdome which is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the HOLY GHOST which faithfully desire to serve thee in sincerity though they bee encompassed with many weakenesses Thou art a Father of infinite mercies and everlasting compassions and wilt passe by many infirmities of thy deare children Wee humbly therefore beseech thee most gracious Father to bury all our