ships divided into 3 squadrons commanded by the L. Howard Admiral Sr. Francis Drake Vice-Admiral and the Lord Henry Seymour Reer-Admiral When the mighty moving wood of Spain was entred into the British seas and found the Queen so well prepared contrary to their expectation they resolved rather to make a chase fight than lye by it The Queen commanded the L. Admiral to make ready eight of her worst ships and to besmear them with wild-fire pitch and rosin and fill them with brimstone and other combustible matâ—er which he sent down the wind in the dead of the night among the Spanish Fleet who spying the flames â—nd thinking them deadly inventions and murthering engines raised a sad oâ—tcry and preseâ—tly weigâ—'d anchor 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 les and in a terrible Panicâ—â—ear with great hast and confusion put to Sea Whereupon the Queens fleet under Drake and other brave Commanders took some of them sunck and drove some on the sands and many others being driven Northwards and grievously tossed impaired and mangled by storms and wracks and enduring all manner of miseries at length returned with shame and dishonour by all which ways were lost more than half the Spanish fleet and of the English only one ship and that of small value And thus this great Armada which had been three compleat years in preparing with infiniâ—e expence was within one months space many times fought with and at last overthrown with the loss of abundance of Spaniards and this mighty design came to nought Gloria Deo A Thanksgiving for our deliverance from the Spanish Armada in 1588. MOst high and mighty Lord God Almighty who workest wonders in the Heavens in the Earth and in the Sea who art a present help to all that call upon thee we the people of these Nations have infinite cause to bless thy holy name for thy mercies of old to our Fathers in delivering us from that slavery and misery that was design'd to be brought upon us by thine and our enemies who intended to have tyrannized over our souls our bodies our consciences they had prepared whips to scourge us chains and fetters to bind and manacle us and they did boast themselves to be invincible and that none could withstand them but thou O Lord didst blow upon them with a blast of thy mouth and they were scattered like chaff before the wind and they perished at thy presence thou didst put fear into their hearts and they fled thou didst confound all their projects and devices and they were all brought to nought O Lord let us never forget this mercy of thine and the multitude of thy mercies that we have recieved since that time which thou knowest O Lord we have not improved as we ought and may therefore justly fear that we have so provoked thee by our crying abominations that thou mayst once more give us over to Romish Tyranny O Lord we beseech thee yet to remember mercy and rather take us into thine own hand to correct us than give us into the hands of wicked and unmerciful men whose tender mercies are cruelties remember thy loving kindness to us of old and save us according to thy wonted mercy not for our own sakes but for the merit of thy dear Son and our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ. Amâ—n Vpon the fifth of November 1 THis day allows thy praises Lord Our grateful hearts to thee shall sing Our thankful lips they shall record Thine antient loves Eternal King 2 Our Land shall boast the holy One My great preserver is become My friends my foes hath overthrown And made the pit they dig'd their tomb 3 With Parthian bows the Archers came Romes poisonous oyl on th' arrows shone Thy Turtle was the Archers aim Shoot shoot saies Satan all 's our own 4 Fond foolish Rome how darest t' oppose Whom God in his safe bosom lays Thy malice may it self disclose But frustrate still shall turn to praise 5 Thy Crozier staff thy tripple Crown Those ensignes of deceit and pride Thy purple robe thy blaz'd renown The Gunpowder Treasâ—n The dust shall ever ever hide 6 Thy merchants shall thy fall lament Thy lovers all in sackloth mourn While Heaven and Earth in one consent Shall sing Amen let Babilon burn 7 Then Lord thy Spouse whose dropping eyes Whose sighs whose sufferings prove her thine Shall from her pensive sorrows rise And as the Lambs fair Bride shall shine 8 Sweet day sweet day when shall it be Why stays my Lord dear Saviour come Thy mourning Spouse cries after thee Stay with me here or take me home Of the Powder Treason THe Plot was to undermine the Parliament-house and with Pouder to blow up the King Prince Clergy Nobles Knights and Burgesses the very confluence of all the flower of Glory Piety Learning Prudence and Authority in the Land Fathers Sons Brothers Allies Friends Foes Papists and Protestants all at one blast This damnable design was coutrived by some Priests Jesuits and other Papists to which end they took lodgings near the Parliament house and then all the Conspirators took an oath of secresy in these words You shall swear by the blessed Trinity and by the Sacrament you now purpose to receive never to disclose directly or indirectly by word or circumstance the matter that shall be proposed to you to keep secret nor desist from the execution thereof till the rest shall give you leave And now the business went on apace and all things being ready the 5 th of November 1605. was the day designed for the execution but about ten days before a letter directed to my Ld. Monteagle was delivered by an unknown person to his footman in the street with a strict charge to give it to his Lords own hand which accordingly he did and the Lord being troubled at the contents presently imparted it to the Secretary of State who soon presented it the King which was in these Words My LORD Out of the love I bear to some of your friends I have a care of your preservation therefore I would advise you as you tender your life to devise some excuse to shift off your attendance at this Parliament for God and man have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time and think not slightly of this advertisement 〈◊〉 retire your self into your Country where you may expect the event with safety for though there be no appearance of any stir yet I say they shall receive a terrible Blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them this counsel is not to be contemned because it may do you good and can do you no harm for the danger is past so soon as you have burnt the letter and I hope God will give you the grace to make use of it to whose holy protection I commend you The King reading this letter did conclude by several dark passages in it that it contained in it some extraordinary design and therefore by the Blow did suppose was meant some blast of Gun-pouder
the Mysteries of Salvation my hope established in the promises of the Gospel and my life set forward in a setled course of holyness and righteousness whereby the Kingdom of sin and Satan is beat down and destroyed and the Kingdom of Christ built up in me By this thy Word the careless sinner is admonished the ignorant instructed the presumptuous teâ—rified and the Penitent comforted the Power of sin is abated the force of temptations weakned the motions of the Spirit quickned grace received and my Election assured by the infallible marks and tokens thereof set before me in holy Scriptures Blessed be thy Name for it this day thy word hath dwelt with me richly in all wisdom The dispencer of thy Mysteries hath scattered many Doctrines like so many Pearls among the People Lord grant that with Mary I may keep these and all thy sayings in my heart and make use of them in my life and receive comfort from them at my Death And here I would proceed to intreat at thy hands the continuance and increase of thy Spiritual Temporal blessings upon me but my sins lye at the door of my Conscience and affright me My heart smites me for my failings in the performance of the duties of this day My devout meditations have been â—tifled in the womb that bare them my Prayers have not been without distractions my hearing without â—earisomness nor my Alms-deeds without Grudging Pardon dear Father the want of preparation before I come to thy house of intention and Zeal at thy service and of Meditation and Application of those things which I heard there since I came thence Bury I beseech thee these slips and all my sins especially of this week and day in the night of eternal oblivion Ease me of the burthen of them that I may more securely repose my soul and body upon thy gracious protection to take their natural refreshing by sleep whereby I may be enabled and strengthened to do the better service the next day in walking carefully diligently conscionably and constantly in the wayes of thy Commandements and in the duties of my Calling so as may be to thy honour and Glory and my eternal comfort through Jesus Christ our Lord. To whom be honour and glory world without end Amen Our Father c. A Prayer for Munday-Morning MOst Glorious Lord God the great Creator and preserver of all mankind Blessed be thy Name that thou hast been graciously pleased to preserve me the night past and that thou hast once more vouchsafed me the light of the Morning whereby to manage my affairs and business O Lord preserve me this day and keep me in all my wayes give unto me the repose of a quiet Conscience and the clear light of the Gospel to guide my feet in the way of peace and grant that this light may convince me of the Errors of my understanding the depravedness of my will the disorder of my affections the Impunity of my thoughts the vanity of my desires the deceitfulness of my heart and the wickedness thereof Make me sensible O Lord what a wretched creature I was in my birth slime and filthiness what I am in my life vanity and solly and what shall be in my death stench and rottenness Discover unto me O Lord that I have nothing which I have not received that without Christ I can do nothing that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good that I am not able of my self as of my self to think a good thought that I cannot desire to think nor have will to desire nor grace to will any good O Lord let me consider that my comforts in this world are very few and small my crosses and troubles many and great my pleasures here are momentary and short my pains hereafter without my repentance and thy great mercy are permanent and everlasting My gifts O Lord are very small my wants and infirmities are great my helps are weak my assaults and temptations are strong my good deeds are few and they tainted with Imperfections but my ill deeds are infinite Let these considerations O Lord humble me in my self that Christ may raise me and wound me in my self that Christ may heal me And O Lord who this day madest the Heavens or Air without which I cannot breath naturally no not for a moment infuse into my heart the Spirit of thy grace without which I cannot breath Spiritually in my Prayers nor sigh nor so much as move any part or faculty of my soul or body unto thee and as oft as I take in or let out the air which I breath let receive me in grace from thee and breathe out praise unto thee Be my guide O Lord this day and do thou keep me both Now and Ever Amen Our Father c. A Prayer for Munday-Evening HOly and Eternal Lord God who art the King of Heaven and the Watchman of Israel who never slumbrest nor sleepest Look upon me thy unworthy servant who by reason of my sin and the corruption of my nature am wholly subject to sloth and am even now ready to ease and rest my self upon my bed I know not whether thou wilt this very night make my bed in the dark and the hour of my visitation be this present Evening all my years are but a span long my dayes pass like a Weavers Shuttle my life ends like a Tail that is told this hour may be my last hour my next sleep may be my last and long sleep I beseech thee therefore that I may every Evening seriously ponder and meditate heaven that I may be the better prepared in that day and hour that thou shalt call me And though my Eyes shall now sleep and enjoy that moderate refreshment which thou hast appointed for the wearisome condition of my weak body yet let my soul continually watch unto thee to attend thy coming Forgive me O Lord the sins of this day past and all other my former sins and misdemeanors keep me this night both in body and soul that I may with the next light joyfully rise again Let not my sleep be unmeasurable and excessive to please the ease of my flesh but sufficient and seasonable whereby I may be the better disposed to thy service to morrow diligently and fruitfully walking in my calling and repenting me of my sins with fear to offend thee Let thy unspeakable mercy alwayes preserve me let thine endless sweetness rejoyce me let thine heavenly truth strengthen me let thy knowledg imbolden me and thy goodness keep me from my Enemies visible and invisible now and for Evermore Amen Our Father c. A Prayer for Tuesday Morning O Eternal Lord God thou commandest us alwayes at all times and in all things to call upon thee day by day I come unto thee beging refreshment from the overflowing streams of thy mercy O Lord open unto me the gate of thy favour and let me be satisfied with the fountain of thy loving kindness O merciful Lord who
us we beseech thee let the eye of thy providence which never slumbereth nor sleepeth watch over us and let the hand of thy power Protect and defend us Cover us this Night under the Shadow of thy Wings that no evil happen unto us Grant that our bodies may be refreshed this night with such moderate rest that we may be the fitter for the works of our vocation and thy service the next morning Hear us we beseech thee for Jesus Christ his sake our Lord and only Saviour in whose Name and Words we call upon thee further Praying Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Thursday Morning GLorious Lord God and in Jesus Christ our merciful and loving Father we thine unworthy creatures sinful dust and ashes are here in all humility of souls and bodies prostrate as the lowest footstool of thy glorious Majesty beseeching thee to bow down thine ears unto our prayers to open thine eyes to our Supplications who from the very bottom of our hearts do acknowledg and confess that we have been unprofitable servants prodigal Children and bad stewards of that time which thou hast afforded us for repentance and good works and of those tallents which thou hast committed to our improvement we are Children of rebellious and disobedient parents our hearts are cages of unclean birds of noisome lusts and the thoughts thereof have been evil and only evil and that continually And if we look O Lord unto the actions of our lives there are few sins we have not committed no Commandement which we have not broken These eyes which now look up unto heaven have beheld vanity these tongues which now call upon thee have dishonoured thee and these hands which we now lift up unto thee have been many times lifted up against thee and thy statutes so that we have made our selves unworthy of the east of thy mercies but worthy of the greatest of thy Judgments but deal not with us after our sins neiâ—her reward us according to our â—niquities Spare us O Lord Spare thy people whom thou hast creatâ—d after thine own Image and redeemed with thy own blood And â—ccording to the multitude of thy tender compassions which have ever been of old to us blot out the multitude of our transgressions pardon our sins and receive us again into thy favour for his sake and Suffering who hath Satisfied thy Justice to the utmost farthing And for the short residue and remainder of our days give us grace O Lord to consecrate the remainder of them to thy service to redeem that time which we cannot recall and to make our calling and election sure before we go home and be seen no more And bâ—cause the corruption of our nature are too many and too strong for us and the Devil like a roaring Lyon goes about continually to devour us leave us not to our selves but assist us by thy grace perfed thy strength in our weakness and preserve both our bodies and souls blameless and spotless that wheâ— we shall have finished our course and run the race of our natural Pilâ—grimage we may receive that crown of righteousness which thou the righteous and just Judge hast laid up for all them that love and expect the day of thy appearing And together with us we intreat thee for a blessing upon our King Queen Duke and the rest of the Royal Family upon our Counsellours Ministers and Magistrates upon our friends Kindred and acquaintance upon the whole Church and every afflicted member of it Eccept of our Morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for all the mercies and favours comforts and deliverances which from time to time thou hast afforded and continued to us we thank thee for thy last mercy in preserving us from the dangers of this night past for refreshing our bodies with seasonable rest and bringing us safe to the beginning of this day Lord what is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou shouldest thus visit and remember him give us grace O Lord to remember thee and to be mindful of thy mercies that we may praise thee for all thee truth and faithfulness which thou shewest to us in the land of the living that as thou hast brought us to the comforts of this day so thou mayst go along with us in the same to enable us for the Duties of those callings wherein we are placed and to deliver us from those dangers to which we are exposed ever for Jesus Christ his sake in whose most blessed name and words we conclude these our weak and imperfect prayers saying as he himself hath taught us in his holy Gospel Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Thursday Evening O Eternal God and most merciful Father in Jesus Christ in whom thou hast made a Covenant of Grace and Mercy with all those that come unto thee in him in his Name and Mediation we humbly prostrate our selves before the throne of thy mercy-seat acknowledging that by the breach of all thy holy Laws and Commandements we are become wild Olive Branches strangers to thy Covenant of Grace we have defaced in our selves thy sacred Image imprinted in us by Creation we have sinned against Heaven and before thee and are no more worthy to be called thy children O admit us into the place of hired servants Lord thou hast formed us in ouâ— Mothers Wombs thy Providence hath hitherto watched over us and preserved us to this present time O stay not the course of thy Mercies and loving kindness toward us Have mercy upon us O Lord for thy dear Son Jesus Christ his sake who is the way the truth and the Life In him O Lord we appeal from thy Justice to thy Mercy beseeching thee in his Name and for his sake only that thou wilt be graciously pleased freely to pardon us all our sins and disobedience whether in thought word or deed committed against thy divine Majesty and in his precious Bloodsheding Death and perfect obedience free us from all the guilt the stain the punishment and dominion of all our sins and cloth us with his perfect Righteousness there is mercy with thee O Lord that thou mayest be feared yea thy mercyes swallow up the greatness of our sins speak peace to our souls and consciences make us happy in the free Remission of all our sins and be reconciled to thy poor servants in Jesus Christ in whom thou art well pleased Suffer not the works of thine own Hands to Perish thou art not delighted in the death of sinners but in their Conversion turn our hearts and we shall be turned convert us and we shall be converted Illuminate the eyes of our minds and understandings with the bright beams of thy holy Spirit that we may dayly grow in the saving knowledg of the heavenly mystery of our Redemption wrought by our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ sanctifie our wills and affections by the same Spirit the most sacred fountain of all
afflicted and needy Supply all my wants and confer upon me all necessary blessings O be reconciled unto me in the blood of thy Son that I may â—ere depend upon thy fatherly protection and may hereafter be received into thy heavenly Kingdom there to reign with thee world without end through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour in whose blessed name and words I conclude my imperfect Prayers saying as he himself hath taught me Our Father c. The Prayer of a Marriner MOst glorious and eternal God whose power and wisdome is infinite and whose dominion is without end thou canst order and dispose of thy poor creatures to thy own praise and to their souls comfort Be pleased to look down from heaven the habitation of thy dwelling place and take notice of the broken requests of a poor worm in thy presence that is not worthy to take thy name into his lips Lord I may well say What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldst visit him that thou shouldst compass him about with loving kindness as with a garment The divine Architecture of this goodly fabrick of heaven and earth raysed out of nothing to this admirable perfection is beyond the apprehension of poor sinful dust and ashes but to behold thy glorious works upon the deep waters is much more admirable these declare thy glorious power O blessed Lord vouchsafe thy presence with a poor sinful creature in this undertaking that I may praise thee in the vast Ocean be a preserve from the danger of the Sea and prosper what is lawfully undertaken but especially preserve me from the danger of sin Oh let the gales of thy gracious spirit blow my soul at last to its desired harbour Oh thou that carriest the winds in thy fist so take care of me that the waves of the sea or of worldly desires may not swallow me up and return me home in safety that I may bless the land of the living and in the congregation of thy people and all this and whatsoever else is needful I aske for the sake of Jesus Christ my Lord to whom with the holy Spirit of grace be glory and honour now and ever Ameâ— The Thanksgiving of a Mariner after a prosperous voyage EVerlasting God the powerful preserver of men there are no bounds to be set to thy bounty for besides the great work of thy Creation thy continued Preservations and wonderful works of Providence declare thee to be a God of mighty power so also of wisdom goodness justice and truth oh never to be enough magnified is thy mercy for the continuance of thy favours thou never leavest nor forsakest those that put their trust in thee Oh holy Lord what shall I render unto thee that so aboundest in love and mercy in the deep the Lord hath been seen and every morning thou preventest me with thy loving kindness and though sin hath abounded yet thy grace hath superabounded Thou dost fulfil the desires of them that fear thee oh now as thou hast given me a new life and delivered me from the dangers and terrors of the deep waters so be graciously pleased to give me a thankful heart let there be found in me hungring and thirsting after righteousness that I may be brought home at last to that land of promised blessedness Good Lord do this and what else thou seest needful for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake our Lord in whose most holy name and words I further pray Our Father c. A Prayer to be used by all Christians O Almighty everlasting God and most gracious and dear loving Father I beseech thee for Jesus Christ his sake thy most dear and only Son to have mercy pitty and compassion upon a most vile wretched and miserable sinner whose innumerable offâ—nces both old and new are grievous and great by which I have justly deserved thy grievous wrath and everlasting damnation But now good Lord I do only appeal to thy great mercy which far surmounteth all thy works and thou hast promised in thy holy Word yea and sworn as truly as thou livest that thou desirest not the death of a sinner but ratheâ— that he should repent and live O gracious Lord I do confess that I am a great and grievous Sinner yet O Lord let me not perish nor suffer that everlasting death of my Soul which I have so deeply deserved but make me a vessel of thy great mercy that I may live and praise thy name amongst thy chosen Children for ever O let not my great sins separate me from the sight of thy holy Majesty but let thy great power and mercy be magnified in me as it was in David and Peter and Mary Magdalen and the Thief upon the cross O Lord I put my whole trust and confidence in thee who hast taken away the sins of the World who camest not to condemn the World but to save it that none which truly believe in thee should perish but should have everlasting life who camest noâ— to call the righteous but sinners to repentance O gracious God give me true hearty earnest and unseigned repentance that I may from the very bottom of my heart continually lament my manifold sins and wickednesses and so assist me with thy grace that I may never trespass against thy divine Majesty any more but that I may gladly serve thee in true holiness and righteousness all the days of my life Guide me O Lord by thy holy Spirit in all my ways works words and thoughts that I may gloriâ—y thy holy name which livest and reignest for ever through Jesus Christ my blessed Lord and Saviour in whose name and words I further pray Our Father c. A Prayer of a sick person FAithful Creator and preserver of all men look down I beseech thee upon thy poor servant who is punisht and afflicted in body with the smart of my pain and sickness and who is also troubled with the fear of thy heavy displeasuâ—e for my many sins and iniquities wherewith I have provoked thy holy Majesty in the time of my health I confess that of very faithfulness and goodness to me thou hast laid this scourge upon me to the end that by the stripes of my fleâ—h my spirit might be healed and saved in the day of the Lord Jesus I valued not the benefit of health as I should have done and therefore thou hast made me sensible of it by the want of it in my prosperity I remembred not the afflictions of my brethren and therefore thou hast afflicted me like unto them I was in a kind of spiritual lethargy till thou didst awake me with the strâ—â—ke of thy hand and because I know that it is good for me to be thus disciplined by thee I humble my self under thy mighty hand kiss this thy rod which I trust through thy grace shall make my Soul appear fair beautiful in thine eyes Comfort O Lord my fainting spirit and strengthen my