Father c. Evening Prayer O Lord God Almighty the Great and Supream Being before whom the Blessed and Glorious Angels cover their faces thou art a God terrible in Wrath and Vengeance against all obstinate wicked men but infinite in Mercy and endless in Compassion to all poor sinners that with unfeigned Repentance truly turn unto thee thou keepest Covenant and Mercy for ever for all who desire to fear thy great Name and walk humbly before thee I Vile Earth and Ashes miserable Creature laden with Sin might justly fear to lift up my Eyes to Heaven but since thou art so far from despising and driving from thee a Weak and Vile Sinful Wretch as I am that thou callest and drawest such unto thee I am bold to approach the Throne of thy Grace in the name of thy dear Son my Lord Jesus Christ whom thou hast given for Sinners not only a Saviour but also an Advocate and Intercessor to put up our Suits and make our Prayers accepted Through him Lord admit me into thy Presence and hold forth unto me the Golden Scepter of thy Grace let not thy Power dismay but strengthen my Weakness thy Glory not confound but cover my Vileness thy Purity not pursue but purge my Wickedness I can plead nothing but Misery in my self to make way unto thy Mercy from thee alone must all motives unto compassion be drawn I beseech thee O Lord be not ashamed of my Poverty be not weary of my Importunity but as the Sense of my misery leads me unto thee so let the Pity and Commiseration of the same incline thy Merciful Heart towards me I brought with me a World of Sin into this thy World I have derived from my first Parents not only the Guilt of their Sin but also the Corruption of their Nature that Leprosy of Adam cleaves unto me and has overspread all the Powers and Parts both of Soul and Body darkening and misleading my Vnderstanding benumming and abusing my Conscience inthralling and hardening my Will disturbing and disordering my Affections and making my Bodily Senses and Members either as Porters to let in Sin or as Instruments to execute it And from this cursed Root have sprung all those Actual Transgressions which in Imitation of Adam's Sin I have committed and multiply'd against thy Majesty by breaking every one of thy Commands in Thought Word and Deed even from the beginning of my life unto this present time So that there is scarce any Sin but I have been guilty of it one time of my life or other nay this very day how miserably have I departed from thee how frequently and sadly have I backslid in what Liberty have I allow'd my self how heedlessly have I conversed I have walked at a meer peradventure with thee my God And here O Lord I desire to confess with shame unto thee not only the Sin of this Day but those great and notorious Offences of all my sinful life past with all those heinous Circumstances whereby my Sins have been made out of measure sinful as the abuse of thy Patience the quenching thy Spirit despising thy Gospel unthankfulness for thy Mercies unfaithfulness in thy Covenant These and many more are the Mischiefs with which my Nature is blemished my Life filled my Conscience hardned and thy heavy Wrath most justly deserved yet because thou hast out of thy free Grace given thy Son Jesus Christ the Lord a means of Propitiation in whom thou reconcilest the World to thy self I humbly beg of thee through him Grace and Pardon O let his sufferings satisfie thy Justice for all my Sins and procure favour and forgiveness from thee let thy Christ be my Jesus to save and deliver me from wrath to come And whereas thou hast not only promised to deal thus with me but commanded me to believe that promise of thine Lord I desire to obey thy Command and Seal to thy Truth yet privy to the weakness of my Faith I pray thee help my unbelief Behold not my Iniquities O Lord as a severe Judge to be avenged of them but as a Sovereign Physician to cure and heal them Shew me my Pollutions by Sin in the Glass of thy World and by the Lamp thereof help me to search and know how wicked I am that Judging and condemning my self I may avoid thy Judgment and heavy Sentence and may so hate abhor and be avenged of my self as that I may avoid thy Wrath and Punishment O let Sin be as bitter to me in the attempting as in the repenting at leastwise more bitter in the repenting than ever it was sweet in the committing Grant me thy Grace to overcome my special Lusts at least alwaies to strive against them Subdue my proud haughty and vain Thoughts and straiten my crooked and distorted Affections Let me look on the Pleasures and Profits of life not only as thy liberal allowances unto me but also as Satan's Baits avoiding all excess and abuse and using them with thankfulness moderation and as things that must shortly leave me or I them Let me not value Pleasure Honor Profit Ease or any thing whatsoever at so high a rate as for the love thereof to make shipwrack of a good Conscience Let me measure my self not by what others Judge me or I feel my self to be but by that I desire and labour to be Teach me to keep a diligent account of what I receive from thee remembring there will be a day of Reckoning and grant me so to manage and employ thy Talents that thou mayest receive thy own with advantage Let my whole Life be a preparation to Death And the Meditation of Death the Rule of my Life Vnto my old and gray head O Lord forsake me not and let thy Fear keep me from forsaking thee let me be amongst those that are planted in thy House and flourish in thy Courts who bring forth most fruit in their old age Help me often to consider the danger I stand in through the Multitude Power and Subtilty of my Spiritual Enemies And to my Faith in thee let me always joyn Fear not only of Satan with whom I am continually to Fight but also of the slippery paths of this sinful World and the Frailty and Treachery of my deceitful Heart and Sinful Nature ever running after Satan's allurements and conspiring with him my utter ruin Let me ever remember how Satan shews only the fair side of Sin and chooses the fittest Instruments to deceive and knows how to sute his Temptation and also of the Scourges which follow after Sin the bitter Fruits thereof how it unfits me for any Service makes me miserable what ever my condition be And how thou wilt most certainly make those that belong to thee to feel the smart thereof especially if it be against Conscience Lord let me never forget Satan's deadly malice against thy best Servants how few of them have ever escaped to the end of their lives without some grievous Wounds Let me not O Lord be drowsy
we may make known our desires to him as if he were not acquainted with them for he understands our Thoughts afar off neither that we may move him to accept and grant our desires for with him there is no Change or Shadow of turning but that we may by our Prayers obtain that of him which we believe he is willing to bestow Prayer being a necessary means both for God's Glory and our good 1 John 5.14 This is our Confidence which we have towards God that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us When therefore thou art about to pray First look into your present State and inquire how all things stand between God and you mark whatsoever occurs between your set times of Prayer the Providences of God or Sleights of Satan what sins you have committed what Graces you want and what Fresh Favours God has bestowed Tune thy Thoughts and Affections wind and Screw them up when thou comest to Duty This is that Zophar advises Job 11.13 to prepare the Heart and then to stretch forth the Hands When you are about to address your self to God in Prayer Fix your thoughts upon some particular Subject to inlarge upon There is no question if you observe your condition well but you have somtimes one errand to God somtimes another whether it be to confess some predominant Sin to beg Pardon of and Power against You may have in your Eye some Grace which you stand in more than ordinary need of and observe your own weakness and defect in Run not out into Generals only for you cannot speak to God of all things at one time but consider the Present Case of thy Soul and what business you have to go to God about at that time in a particular manner enlarge your thoughts on that Subject and follow it home till you feel your heart warm'd and affected Implore and expect the Spirit 's assistance and let thy whole heart be engaged in this work See what thou dost be according to Gods will and have a Warrant from his Word A Command is our Warrant a Promise is our Incouragement and an Example our Tract the Footsteps of the Flock wherein we must walk Improve your Advocate This is the Principal part of all our Religion and especially of Prayer to depend wholly upon the Righteousness and Intercession of Christ Jesus for access to and acceptance with God Be not slight formal and cursory in calling your Sins and Duties Cods Favours and Promises into a bare and Fruitless remembrance if the Heart be not affected with Anger Fear Grief and Shame for Sin with Joy and acknowledgment of being beholden to God for his Favours with Hope and Confidence in him in remembrance of his Promises if it be not gain'd to a new Resolution to Reform what is Faulty and to endeavour after more exactness all your preparation is nothing Nay Sin will gather Strength upon you thereby like idle Sturdy Vagrants who when brought before the Magistrate if he either say little to them or only give them threatning words but never makes them smart for their Offences they grow thereby ten times more insolent lawless Keep up Spiritual Frames out of Worship the Fire was to be kept alive upon the Altar when Sacrifices were not Offer'd from Morning till Night from Night till Morning as well a in the very time of Sacrifice One well advises to be such out of Worship as we would be in it any thing that does unhinge and discompose our Spirits is inconsistent with Religious Services which are to be perform'd with the greatest sedateness and gravity All irregular Passions disturb the Serenity of the Spirit and tho they be allay'd yet they leave the heart some while after like the Sea rolling and swelling after the Storm is ceased Ill company leaves a Tincture upon us in Worship Ephraim hath mixed himself with the People Hosea 7.8 He is a Cake not turned This will make our Hearts and Lives half Dough as well as half Baked These and the like make the Holy Spirit withdraw himself and then the Soul lies like a Wind-bound Vessel that can make no way When the Sun departs from us it carries its Beams along with it then Darkness spreads it self over the Earth and the Beasts of the Forest creep out Be much in Secret Ejaculations to God These are the purest flights of the Soul that have more of Fervor and less of Carnality As frequent sinful Acts strengthen habits of Sin so frequent Religious acts strengthen habits of Grace Excite and exercise particularly a Love to God and a Dependance on him The Soul that loves God when it has to do with him can mind nothing else during such Impression Nourish right apprehensions of God in thy mind Consider thou art drawing nigh to God the most amiable Object the best of Beings worthy of infinite Honour and the highest Affections thou canst give a God that made the World by a Word that upholds the great frame of Heaven and Earth a Majesty above the Conceptions of Angels View him in his Greatness and Goodness that your Heart may have a true value of the Worship of so great a Majesty and count it the most worthy employment to attend upon him A Fear of God will make your Worship serious a Joy in God durable your Affections will be rais'd when you represent him in the most reverential indearing and obliging Circumstances We Honour the Majesty of God when we consider him with due Reverence according to the greatness and perfection of his Works And in this Reverence of his Majesty does Worship chiefly consist Preserve a strong Sence of the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God who Judges thy inward Affections and is as really present with thee as if he were Visible Take heed of inordinate desires after the World it dulls the Word and stifles all Spiritual breathings after God in Duty Be deeply sensible of thy present wants and the supplies thou mayest have in Worship It is pardon thou desirest Apprehend then the blackness of Sin with the aggravations thereof as it respects God be deeply sensible of the want of Pardon and the worth of Mercy indeavour to get your Affections into such a frame as condemned Men would be and as you have seen some dying Men have Consider thou art now at the Throne of Gods Grace but must shortly be at the Bar of his Justice indeavour to stir up the same affections now the same fixedness and earnest Pleading for Mercy which thou mayest suppose forlorn Souls will have at Gods Tribunal If thou couldest apprehend God as an angry and offended Judge or didst see the riches of his Mercy and his glorious out-goings in the Sanctuary the blessed Doles he gives out to those that Spiritually attend upon him both the one and the other would make thee perform thy Duty humbly sincerely earnestly and affectionately waiting upon him with thy whole Soul to have Misery averted and Mercy
and secure in so extream danger nor lulled asleep when I am even ready to be utterly swallow'd up but let me ever be preparing and buckling on my whole Armor that I may stand fast in this evil day and preserve my self until the Conquest be gotten and I Crowned O let me never deceive my self by imagining my case to be good when I am but a Carnal Worldling or meer Hypocrite but Lord help me daily but especially before thy Sabbaths to examin and try my Spiritual Estate how I grow in all Graces in more sincere obedience to all thy Commands Faith in all thy Promises and in the power of all true Godliness That I may hereby not only avoid all Hardness of heart Lukewarmness Sleeping in Sin prevent an evil Conscience with the dreadful Punishments thereof and be kept from Satans power but also may get strong Consolation may be every day more filled with content and delight in thee increasing in Love to thy Majesty People and Ordinances in Zeal for thy Glory and Kingdom full of Life and Cheerfulness in accomplishing all thy good pleasure and submiting my self to thee only and thy gracious direction in all things having my Eyes and Faith fixed upon thee believing thou wilt always watch over me for good thy Fatherly care shall feed and supply all my wants thy faithful and powerful Protection make me safe and thy wise and holy Providence order all things for my advantage in the end Save me O Lord from backsliding from thee after the manner of this evil Age and preserve me from all the causes thereof conceitedness of the goodness of my State standing at a stay in Religion neglect of any means of Grace especially the Word and Sacraments unfaithfulness in my Calling committing or living in any known Sin without speedy Repentance Grant me to Glorifie thee according to my Knowledge of thee and so to love and practice thy Sacred Truth that thou mayst never leave me or in judgment give me up to vile Affections a Reprobate Sence or the strong delusions of Anti-christ And now O Lord as I am in duty bound I do here present unto thee from an humble heart this my Evening Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for all thy Goodness and Mercy to me a poor miserable Sinner that I was born and live in the shining Light of thy glorious Gospel and am not as others under the darkness of Popery and Tyranny of Antichrist in all Afflictions and Misery That I have any measure of Peace in my Spirit when I might have been in continual horror of Conscience for my Sins and left unto the power of Satan that thou hast granted me health and sufficiency of the things of this Life many kind Friends about me my good Name and Credit preserved and thy Blessings in any measure upon my labours whereas thou mightest have smitten me to have lain continually Bed rid tormented with most loathsome Diseases and Sores or like a poor Lazar to have begged my Bread from door to door yea to have layn without in the Streets or in Prison hungry naked thirstie as many better than my self do destitute of Friends in the midst of cruel enemies odious to all my Name rottenness and my labours accursed and what is more than all this that thou shouldst continue all those kindnesses unto me notwithstanding all my unthankfulness great impenitency and hardness of heart and altho' I have profited so little by the means of Grace thou hast so long vouchsafed me both of thy Word and Ordinances thy Judgments Mercies Fatherly Chastisements and Corrections so that thou might'st in Justice have shut up all thy Loving kindness in heavy displeasure and have cast me off as one in whom thou takest no pleasure it is thy Goodness thy Goodness alone which is the Fountain whence all those rich Mercies flow unto me And that thou mayst receive all the Glory shall be the constant Prayer and indeavour of thy Servant all the daies of his life to the which I do here solemnly engage and bind my self in thy Sacred Presence beseeching thee to Sanctifie unto me this night's rest that I be not troubled with any Terrors or weakened with any Sickness or impoverish'd by any Casualities or Crosses but that being defended under the Shadow of thy Wings and by the Protection of thy holy Angels I may be secured both from the Assaults of Satan and the designs of evil Men. Into thy holy Protection and Custody O Father I do here commend my self and all that through thy Goodness do belong unto me beseeching thee both to hear and grant these my Requests and all other things needful either for my self or any Member of thy whole Church for thy dear Son Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour's sake to whom with thy self and the Blessed Spirit be all Honour and Obedience from Generation to Generation Amen Our Father c. FINIS
such words as may administer Grace unto the hearers to be sober in Diet wary in Disports moderate in Apparel choice in my Company and ever to practice that continual Fear which has a promise of Blessing especially watching against those Sins I am most inclined to and those Temptations that are most likely to assault me Plant in me Faith without Presumption Love without Dissimulation Fear without Infidelity Zeal without Hypocrisy Knowledge without Pride Purity without Judging Wisdom joyn'd with Simplicity Courage accompany'd with Meekness Cheerfulness with Sobriety and let every Grace be graced with Humility And be thou pleased so to bless all my Studies and Actions that they may tend to thy Glory the good of others and comfort of my own Soul in that day when I shall make my final Accompt unto thee for them O my God keep thy Servant that I do no Evil unto any man this Day and suffer neither the Devil nor his wicked Angels nor any of his evil Members or my malicious Enemies to have any Power to do me any hurt or violence But defend me from the Power Malice and Multitude of them all both in my going out and coming in with the impregnable defence of thy Providence and Guard of thy holy Angels whom thou hast said should to this end pitch their Tents about those that fear thy Name For into thy Hands I do here O Father commend my Soul Body and all that I have to be guided and protected by thee being assured That whatsoever thou takest into thy Custody cannot suffer any harm seeing thou Rulest all things to thine own Glory and the greatest good of thy Children and because thou hast assured me that thus begging I shall receive that I may set forth thy Glory whereunto I do here bind my self And if at any time I shall this day forget thee my God I beseeh thee do thou in mercy remember me and suffer not Sin to swallow me up or grow strong upon me lest I perish And now may it please thee to receive at the hands of me thy unworthy Servant this my Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for all thy Mercies both for my Being and Well-being for the Means of Grace and Hopes of Glory c. By thee at first I was fearfully and wonderfully made thou did'st cover me in my Mothers Womb and gavest me the shape of a Man when it was free for thee to have equalled me with the basest Creatures Thou hast made me Perfect in shape and not a Monster Sensible and of understanding not a Fool Thou didst preserve me in the Womb nourish'd me when I hung upon the Breasts provided means of Education fitted me for an honest Employment and compassed me with many particular Mercies which others want That I am now alive that Satan has not had his will upon me that I know the way and the means unto a better Life that I have been protected and refreshed the night past when for the Sins of the Day thou mightest justly in the dead of sleep have called for my Soul and that I have daily access unto thy glorious Presence Whence are all these but from the freedom of thy Grace If thou shouldest have given me my desert I should have perished long ago Father I defire to remember with a thankful heart all thy Mercies at any time bestowed upon me or continued to me My Health Peace Liberty Maintenance Credit Fellowship Success in my Affairs Preservation from Dangers delivery from Troubles Recovery out of Sickness Consolation in Afflictions c. But above all for the magnifying thy Mercy to me in the great work of Redemption and Salvation by Jesus Christ for thy Christ thy Spirit thy Word thy Sacraments thy Sabbaths and the Assemblies of thy Saints with all the helps of Example Instruction Admonition and Fatherly Correction by which thou hast indeavour'd to farther me in the way of my Salvation yea tho' my provocations have been so many and so grievous yet thy Compassions fail not but are renew'd every Morning For all those Testimonies of thy Bounty thy Pity thy Patience towards me I do according to my poverty offer up unto thee the Calves of my Lips confessing thy Goodness and the Due Service of my Soul and Body as a Living and reasonable Sacrifice And now O Lord I come unto thee in behalf of thy whole Church and chosen People and of all my Brethren wheresoever they live upon the Face of the whole Earth Defend them from the rage and Tyranny of the Devil the World and Antichrist give thy Gospel a free and a joyful Passage through the World for the Conversion of those that belong unto thy Kingdom Judge Babylon and Redeem Sion in thy appointed time Call the uncalled and perfect the called raise up the Fallen strengthen the Weak heal the Sick relieve the Needy and Distressed release such as are in Restraint comfort them that are Comfortless either in Body or Mind especially such as mourn for Sin Strengthen the Hands and Hearts of them that stand in the just defence of Religion and Right and confound every Adversary and Antichristian Power and Policy Especially be favourable to all such a suffer any Trouble or Persecution for the Testimony of thy Truth and holy Gospel support them under and give them a gracious deliverance out of all their Troubles which way it shall seem best to thy Wisdom for the Glory of thy Name the further inlarging of thy Truth and the increase of their Comfort and Consolation Give me a compassionate fellow feeling of the Miseries others suffer and prepare me for the day of Trial. Bless with all sutable Mercies this particular Church forgive the publick Sins heal the publick Calamities and Diseases Bless thy Servant Charles our Sovereign adorn him with all Princely Graces answerable to his high Estate especially with a Spirit of Government Prosper the work of the Gospel and make thy Word to grow by the labours of those thou hast appointed to the Service of the Church give them Sufficiency Fidelity and Success in thy Business Increase Wisdom in our Counsellors and stir up Magistrates and men in Authority to seek the advancement of thy Glory and good of thy People contain the Subjects in their due obedience to Authority bring to naught all Tumultuous and Rebellious Practices Visit all my Kindred Relations and acquaintances and all that are committed to my charge and whosoever may claim an interest in this Duty at my hands with such Blessings as they need Reward a thousand fold all who have shown any kindness to thy Servant forgive and have mercy upon all my Enemies and let not one of them ever fare the worse for any wrong done unto me Finally both to my self and all that desire to fear thy Name grant all the Blessings of Mercy and Peace in Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and the Eternal Spirit be all Honor Obedience and Thanksgiving throughout all Generations Amen Our