lyeth hard upon us 86.6 and thou hast vexed us with all thy stormes Thy wrathfull displeasure goeth over us 16. and the feare of thee hath undone us Thou hast given us over to the sword and art wrath with thine inheritance 〈…〉 Thou feedest us with the bread of teares â—0 5 and givest us plenty of teares to drinke Thou hast made us a very strife to our neighbours 6. and our enemies laugh us to soorne O Lord we acknowledge that all this is come upon us Psrâ— 9 1◠〈◊〉 13.117 for our evill deeds and that thou ô Lord art righteous and thy judgements upright Because we have not hearkned to thy word Ier. â— â—7 nor to thy law but reiected it thou hast brought evill upon this Nation We have bin disobedient and rebelled against thee Nâ— 9.16 and cast thy Law behind our backs We have sinned 〈◊〉 7.10 what shall we doe to thee ô thou preserver of men Why hast thou set us as a marke against thee so that we are burdens to our selves Lord we cover not our transgressions with Adam Iob 11.13 by hiding our iniquities But we abhorre our selves Ps 41. â— 41.4 and earnestly repent and say Lord be mercifull to us heaâ—e our souls for we have sinned against thee Take notice ô Lord of our misery Out of the deep of misery and affliction have we called to thee ô Lord 130 1â— Lord heare our voyce Oh let thine eares consider the voyce of our complaint 2. Enter not into iudgement we humbly pray thee with thy servants ô Lord for in thy sight shall no man living be iustified 143. â— The Heavens are not cleane in thy sight Iob 15 15. How much more abhominable and filthy is man 16. that drinkes iniquity like water Remember ô Lord the infirmitie of our nature Consider that of our selves we are but weake Isal 6â— That we are but flesh 78.39 a wind that passeth away and commeth not againe Thou knowest ô Lord whereof we are made â—03 14. thou remembrest that we are but dust That our dayes are but as grasse and as a flower of the field 15â— 16. over which as soone as the wind goeth it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more Remember also O Lord thine own nature That thou art full of compassion 8. and mercy long suffering and of great goodnesse That thou canst not be alwayes chiding â— nor keepe thine anger for ever That thou are good and gracious 〈…〉 5. and of great mercy to all that call upon thee That thou art loving to every man Psal 145 5â— and that thy mercy is over all thy works That when thou punishest Esa 28.21 it is not thy proper worke and that thine own worke is mercy Remember ô Lord thy Name The Lord the Lord God Exod 34.6 mercifull and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth That thou art a Father of Mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 Remember thy Sons Name That he is called the Lamb Ioh 1.26 that taketh away the sins of the World That he is called the Redeemer of the World Iob 19 25. Psalâ— 9 14. â—itus 2 14. That he is called the Saviour of the World Ioh 4.42 That he is called our Mediater and Advocate 1 Tim 2 â— 1 Ioh 2.2 Remember the Name of the Holy Spirit That he is called a Comforter Ioh 16.7 Help us therefore ô God of our salvation Psal 7â— 9 for the glory of thy Name Oh deliver us and be mercifull to our sins for thy Names Sake We are called by thy Name 〈◊〉 4.9 ô Lord leave us not Remember ô Lord thy Promise That if a sinner repent and turne from his transgressions Ezek. 18.30 his iniquity shall not be his ruine That when we call upon thee Psal 50.15 in time of trouble thou wilt deliver us Lord Psal 86 7.10â—â—â— we call upon thee in a day of trouble Hide not thy face from us in the day of trouble encline thine eare unto us in the day when we call answer us speedily Remember Lord that we are the work of thine hands Thou art our Father Esa 64.8 We are the clay and thou the Potter and we are all the worke of thy hands Be not wrath very sore ô Lord neither remember iniquity for ever Behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Forsake not ô Lord the worke of thine owne hands Ps 138. â— And we are not only thy handiworke Gen. 1. â—â— Col 3 â—â— but the Image of thy Countenance Deface it not ô Lord. We are Members of thy Mysticall Body 1 Coâ—â—15 â— 1.27 O Lord we beseech thee cut us not off We are the price of thy Sonnes Blood 1 Cor 6 20. 1 Pet. 1. â—9 We are bought with a price We were not redeemed with silver and gold but with the pretious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot O Lord undervalue it not Thou ô Lord hast an especiall property in us Ps 119.94 1 6 16. cast us not off We are thine ô save us We are thy servants Esa 64. â— We are all thy people Mar 4.38 Esa 63.16 Lord carest thou not that we perish Though we be undutifull children yet are we thy Children Doubtlesse thou art our Father Thou art our Father ô Lord. Though wee have lost the duty of children Aug. yet thou hast not lost the love of a Father Behold ô Lord we repent of our backslidings Sorrow is continually before us for them Isa 38.17.18 We confesse our wickednesse and are heartily sorry for them and cry Lam 5 16. woe unto us that we have sinned And we know that a broken spirit is a sacrifice to thee Psal 51 19. a broken and contrite heart ô Lord thou wilt not despise It hath bin thy practise to shew mercy Call to remembrance ô Lord Psal 25 5. thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesse which have bin ever of old Thou hast bin our refuge from one generation to another 90 1 And we humbly pray thee that as thou hast bin our succour 27 11. leave us not now neither forsake us ô God of our salvation But rather 80 3. turne us againe ô God shew the light of thy countenance and we shall be whole Turne us ô God our Saviour 85.4 and let thine anger cease from us Shew some good token upon us for good 86 17. that they which hate us may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen and comfortea us O satisfie us with thy Mercy 90 14. and that soone so shall we reioyce and be glad all the dayes of our life In the multitude of the sorrowes that are in our hearts let thy comforts ô Lord refresh our soules Another Have mercy upon us ô God
Psal 51 â— after thy great goodnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away our offences For we acknowled our faults 3. and our sin is ever against us Against thee only ô Lord have we sinned 4. and done much evill in thy sight Behold we were shapen in wickednesse 5. and in sinne did our mothers conceive us O Lord we confesse 78 11.12 that we have not kept the Covenant of thee our God nor walked in thy Law but forgate what thou hast done for us and the wonderfull workes that thou hast shewed for us We have sinned with our Fathers 106.6 we have committed iniquity and we have done wickedly Our sinnes are gone over our heads 38.4 and are as an heavy burden too heavy for us to beare O Lord we have not hearkned unto thee Lev. 26 15.17 nor done thy Commandements but bave despised thy Statutes and our soules have abhorred thy Judgements therefore hast thou set thy face against us 25. and brought the sword upon us to avenge the quarrell of thy Covenant Thou hast whetted thy sword Psal 17.13.14 and bent thy bow and made it ready Thou hast prepared for us instruments of death The sorrowes of death and destruction compasse us â—6 3 and we have found sorrow and trouble We are full of confusion Iob 10.15 therefore O Lord looke upon our affliction Thou renewest thy plagues against us 37 and encreasest thine indignation upon us Changes and warre are against us Thou hast kindled thy wrath against us 19.13 and accounted us as thine enemies The dayes of affliction take hold of us 30.15 31. Our Harpe is turned to mourning and our Organ into the voyce of them that weepe And in these our miseries thou hast covered thy selfe with a cloud Lam. 3 44.47 that our prayer should not passe through so that feeare and a snare is come upon us desolation and destruction How long O Lord wilt thou forget us O Lord for ever Ps 13.1 How long wilt thou hide thy face from us Wherefore hidest thou thy face 44.26 and forgettest our miserie and trouble Thou makest us to be rebuked of our Neighbours 14. and to be laughed to scorne and to be had in derision of them that are round about us Thine Arrowes sticke fast in us 18.2 and thy hand presseth us sore Wee are brought to so great misery 6. that wee goe mourning all the day long Our hearts are disquieted within us 55.4 and the feare of death is fallen upon us O Lord 60.2 thou hast moved the Land and divided it heale the sores therof for it shaketh Thou hast shewed thy people heavy things 3. thou hast given us a drinke of deadly wine Lord take away this plague of warre from us 39.11 else wee shall be consumed by meanes of thy heavy hand Turne thee unto us and have mercy upon us 25 15. for we are desolate and in misery Looke upon all our adversity â—7 and forgive us all our sin Oh breake not leave Iob 13.25 driven to and fro neither pursue dry stubble Write not bitter things against us 26. What profit is there in our blood Psal 30.9.10 when we goe downe unto the pie Shall the dust give thanks to thee or shall it declare thy truth Doest thou shew wonders among the dead 88.10 or shall the dead rise up again and praise thee Oh let us live 119 75. Esa 38.19 and wee shall praise thee The living the living they shall praise thee Lord thou knowest our desire Psal 38 9 and our groaning is not hid from thee Lord where are thy former loving kindnesses 89 4â— Our Fathers hoped in thee they trusted in thee 22.9 and thou didst deliver them They called upon thee â— and were holpen they put their trust in thee and were not confounded Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us also 4.6 Hide not thy face from thy servants 6â— 17 for we are in trouble O hast thee and heare us Heare us O God Psa 69 14. in the multitude of thy mercy even in the truth of thy Salvation Our helpe standeth in the Name of the Lord 124.8 which hath made Heaven and Earth Thou onely art our helper and redeemer 70.6 make no long tarrying O God Arise 41.26 and help us for thy mercy sake Bring our soules out of trouble 143.11 for thy righteousnesse sake And while wee live 246.1 wee will praise thee yea as long as we have any being we will sing praises to thee our God Another OH Almighty God and most mercifull Father in Jesus Christ our Lord behold I beseech thee me thy most unworthy servant prostrating my soule and body before the foot-stoole of thy Throne of Grace with Fasting Teares and humble supplications on the behalfe of the distracted distressed and disconsolate estate of thy dejected Spouse the Church and the miserable condition of these thy Kingdomes both which without thy present succour and reliefe are like to fall into utter desolation I acknowledge ô Lord with hearty and unfained sorrow and griefe of soule that the great and horrid sinnes of this Land in generall and of my owne in particular have ascended into thy presence and called for vengeance and are the chiefe cause of this heavy judgement now upon us that thy judgements are just in afflicting this Nation that wee have by our manifold and heinous sinnes deserved all the punishments Ps 119 137. Deut. 25.15 c. which thy Law hath threatned against them that are disobedient to thy Commandements And lastly that by our ingratitude to thee for all thy blessings wee have justly fallen from so happy and glorious an estate as hath been admired by our friends and envied by our enemies into so wretched a condition as cannot but be pitied by them both Wherefore O Lord I humbly pray thee to behold me an unworthy sonne of thy now distressed Church and a weake member of thy now distracted Kingdome which thine owne right-hand hath planted who in the bitternesse of my soule and griefe of heart in the name and mediation and for the merits of thy blessed Sonne humbly present my prayers supplications and intercessions for them Heare my Prayer O Lord Psal 55 1. and hide not thy selfe from my Petition Bow downe thine eare and save us 33.13 haste thee O Lord to deliver us O be not farre from us 22.11 for trouble is hard at hand and there is none besides thee to help us Vaine is the help of man 62.11 â—â— 5 Eearefullnesse and trembling are fallen upon us and an horrible dread hath over-whelmed us O be favourable O Lord unto Sion thy Church build thou up up the walls of Jerusalem 51 18 and restore peace to this distracted Kingdome and reconcile all unhappy differences amongst us I poure out these my weake Prayers unto thee O Lord 86.5 Exo 34.6.7 knowing that thou art full of compassion good and gracious and of great mercy unto all them that call upon thee That thou art mercifull and gracious long-suffering keeping mercy for thousand for giving iniquity transgression and sinne Abae 3 â—1 Esa 30.18 That in thy wrath thou remembrest mercy and that thou waitest an opportunity to begracious to thy people Be pleased therefore O Lord to extend this thy accustomed pity and compassion towards us that we which are now under thy heavy hand and ready to perish by the Sword and civill diffentions may by thy omnipotent goodnesse mercifully be delivered and freed from it Haste thee Ps 70.1 O LORD to deliver us make haste to helpe us O GOD. Thou onely art our helper and redeemer 40.21 make no long tarying O GOD. And thou O Lord that art the God of Peace who onely by thy mighty power canst cause the Sword to be sheathed againe put thy hooke into their nostrills that indeavour to disturbe the peace of this our Israel Ps â—8 3 Reword thou them according to their deeds and according to the wickednesse of their inventions 4.5 Recompence them after the worke of their hands pay them that they have deserved Give peace in our dayes O Lord and unite the affections of our gracious King and his people give a good and right understanding betweene them That upon himselfe his Crowne way flourish that he may have peace on all sides 132.19 1 Reg 4.25 round about him And that all we his people may dwell safely every man under his Vine and under his Fig-tree This humble Petition if thou shalt be pleased to grant it will not onely breed astonishment and wonder in all that cast their eyes upon us which expect our present ruine and confusion but it will also redound to the exaltation of the glory of thy Name and to the comfort of thy poore dejected people And so we shall all with one accord Psa 26 12. blesse thee in the great Congregation and sing that sweet Antheme of thy blessed Angels Luc 2.14 Glory to God in the highest peace in Earth and towards men good-will Grant it therefore O good God for the merits of thy blessed sonne Christ Jesus our only Lord and Saviour Amen Sat si seriò
danger of death 2 Reg 20.5 prayed and God tells him he had heard his prayer Johoaz being in danger of being over-run by Hazael K. of Assyria prayed and the Lord delivered him Daniel upon danger approaching 13 4. Dan. 6.10 prayed three times a day and the Lord heard him Jonas being in danger in the Whales belly Ion 2.1.10 in the sea prayed and God caused the fish to cast him out upon the dry land Acts 16.25 Paul and Silas being in prison prayed to the Lord and he forthwith delivered them David saith God will regard the prayer of the destitute of all help and not despise their prayer Ps â—â—2 â—7 And this is the second benefit that comes by Prayer Now for the place of Prayer though it be to be made in omni loco as the Apostle enjoynes every where as by Daniel in the den Job upon the dunghill Jonas in the Sea our Saviour in a garden and Paul and Silas in prison yet is this duty more especially appropriated to two places I. Publick 2. Private 1. The Publick place is the great Congregation My praise saith David shall be of thee in the great Congregation â—sal 22.25.68.26 I will pay my vowes before them that feare thee And blesse ye God in the great Congregation 29.9.48.9 Which he expounds in other places to be the Church or Temple And which the Prophet tells us that God will have called Domus Orationis the house of Prayer Ecclesia est singularis fidelium uniuscujusque civitatis Congregatio saith Hugo Esa 56.7 There in deed it is that God desireth especially to be prayed too and where by the unity of many soules in prayer the greatest blessings may be soonest obteyned For publick prayer is compared to a storme of haâ—le pjercing the Heavens and the Fathers say that the Amen in the Primitive Church was like a clap of thunder And thereupon S. Ambrose saith De Poeâ—â—â— Multi minimi dum congregantur unamines sunt magni multorum preces impossibile est contemni Many little ones being met unanimously become great and it is impossible that the prayers of many should be despised 2. Private is twofold 1. In a mans Family and every Pater familias father of a Family is bound not only to see that those which are under his government do frequent publike assemblies to performe the duties before mentioned but to see them do it in his private house also He must say with Ioshua Iosh 24.15 Ego domus mea I and my house will pray to the Lord. And at this exercise Christ hath promised his assistance Mat. 18. â—0 Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them The second is in Cubiculo Prayer must be in a mans closet 1. Which is either litterally taken as when a man retireth himselfe to pray to the Lord in some private place without disturbance 2. Or as the Fathers glosse upon that Text when thou prayest enter into thy closet Quae sunt ista cubicula Mat 6 6. c. what are these closets but the hearts of men according to that of the Psalmist Ps 4.4 Aug de sâ—r Dommi in monte Commune with your owne heart upon your bed And Ambrose saith Intellige cubiculum non inclusum parietibus c. You are to understand by the word closet not that which is enclosed with wals De Cain Abel c. 8. and wherin thy body is shut but the closet that is within thee wherin are inclosed thy thoughts This thy closet is every where with thee and is every where secret the searcher whereof is God and no other Now that our Prayers may be the more prevalent either in publike or private it is necessary that we observe these Rules 1. Our prayers must be offered to God the Father in the name and mediation and for the merits of his beloved Sonne Christ Jesus Mat. 3. â—7 Esa 41 1. Eph 3.11 in Whom he is well-pleased His elect in whom his soule delighteth In and by whom we have boldnes and accesse to the throne of grace Iob. 16.23 And whatsoever we shall aske the Father in his name he will give it us 2. They must be hearty from the heart and soul as Davids did Vnto thee ô Lord doe I lift up my soule Psal 25 1â— and as he counsels others ye people powre out your hearts before him Psal 62.8 3. They must be offered with all humility like to the prayers of Abraham Gen 18.17.32.10 Behold I have taken upon me to speake unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes and to that of Jacob Non sum dignus I am not worthy the least of all thy mercies and to that of the Publican that would not lift up his eyes to Heaven Luc. 18.13 but stood à longè a far off and smote his brest saying God be mercifull to me a sinner 4. Fourthly with fervency For Quanto graviori miseria premitur tanto orationi insistâ—re ardentiùs debemus Greg. Mor. By how much the more grievously we are afflicted so much the more ardently we should betake our selves to prayer As the case stands with us Thess â— 17 we must pray without ceasing 5. Lastly we must offer our prayers to God only Chrysostome upon the words of the woman of Canaan to Christ Lord have mercy upon me saith vide prudentiam mulâ—eris Non regat Jacobum c. Observe the womans wisdome She prayeth not to James nor doth she intreat Iohn nor goes she to Peter nor any of the Apostles she fought no Mediatour for her suit So much briefly for the rules or directions in prayers Seeing then that in the first place Esa 59.2 our iniquities have separated between God and us Let us follow the Prophets counsell and take words unto us and turne to the Lord by Prayer and say unto him O Lord take away all iniquity Hos 14.3 and receive us graciously 2. And secondly in as much as this separation hath brought a just judgement upon us let us humble our selvs with another Prophet and say O Lord Dan 9.4 the great and dreadfull God keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him and keepe his Commandements We have sinned 5. and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled by departing from thy precepts and judgements Neither have we hearkned to thy servants the Prophets 6. which spake in thy name to our Kings our Princes and our Fathers and all the people of the Land O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face 8. because we have sinned against thee To the Lord belong mercies and forgivenesses Danâ— 9.9 though we have rebelled against him O Lord 16. according to all thy righteousnesse we beseech thee let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from this Land which is called by thy
Name because for our sinnes and for the iniquity of our Fathers we are become a reproach to all that are about us Now therefore 17 O God heare the prayers of thy servants and their supplications and cause thy face to shine upon us that are desolate for the Lords sake O our God 18 encline thine eare and heare open thine eyes and behold our desolations For we doe not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesse but for thy great mercies O Lord heare 19 O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and doe deferre not for thine own sake O God for this Land and the people are called by thy Name Thus much for prayer And thus have we taken a view 1. Of our miserable condition by reason of Gods heavy hand upon us Secondly of the cause of his visitation which is our heinous sin and transgression 3. And lastly of the Cure which is to be wrought by repentance In which I have presumed ultra crepidam I confesse to act the Physitians part and to prescribe what ingredients are to be put to the making of the Dosis of Repentance secundum artem that it may worke with effect I dare say they may be taken safely there are no Minerals in it Nay let me tell you except they be taken there will be no hope of recovery And as much must be taken if not q.s. as our poore and weake nature enfeebled with the long custome of sin will beare not nicely or perfunctorily upon a knives point as a taste to see whither we can relish it or no but the whole Bole if we can and then by Gods blessing and assistance we shall nor need to doubt of the cure Probatum est it hath past the Test long since above 2000 years by Ahah and the Ninivites neither of them sound in Religion nor having all these Ingredients in their prescript and it hath bin practised and used with good successe divers times since Let us therefore speedily take it and no doubt but it will have the same effect theirs had One thing give me leave to adde that we must fully resolve our selves that Repentance is an Act not a speculative or theoreticall but a practicall duty Mat. 3.7 The Baptist tels us of an Ira ventura a wrath to come and gives us charge to repent with two active verbes 1. Agite Poenitentiam settle your selves to repent there is somewhat more in it then hearing or reading of it what it is for though that be unum necessarium yet is it not unicum the only necessary thing 2. 8. The other is facite or proferte fructus dignos poenitentiae doe or bring forth fruits worthy of Repentance and that to free us ab ira ventura propter peccatâ— praeterita from wrath to come for sins past It were to be wished that it were yet Ira ventura that it were to come but the more wretched our condition It is Ira accensa the anger of the Lord is kindled some have already felt the heat of it And let us tell our selves that we are no lesse sinners in this part of the Land then they that have already felt it Luc. 13 4â—50 They upon whom the Tower of Siloe fell were not sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem Let us apply this to our selves and that which followeth in the next verse Except we repent we shall all likewise perish God hath long time tendered good Quarter good conditions of peace and we have still stood out in rebellion It is reported of Tamberlaine that when he besieged a City the first day he displayed a white flag before it and upon that day the besieged might have reasonable conditions If they yeelded not that day upon the second he set up a red flag and on that day they might have conditions but they were harder then the former And the third day the two former being rejected he hung out a black flag and then no conditions no quarter would bee granted So God hath displayed his white flagge of peace and we have carelesly neglected it and he hath now hung out his red flagge of wrath Harder conditions are come upon us Now though wee have been so obstinate to him and fearelesse of our owne misery hitherto let us quickly take hold of his conditions lest he hang out the blacke and dismall flagge to our utter desolation and destruction And let us even all of us in the publike Congregation and in our private Families and closets fall downe and humble our selves before Almighty God and implore his pardon and grace and let us truly repent us of our former sins with purpose of living better hereafter and no doubt but God will repent him of his wrath against us and say to his Angell Sufficit It is sufficient enough stay now thy hand If we turne from our sinnes he will turne from punishing us for them If we walke in the statutes of the Lord Luc. 〈…〉 he will give peace in our Land and we shall lye downe and none shall make us afraid 〈◊〉 shall the sword goe through our 〈◊〉 We shall have peace in our houses and peace to all that we have 1 Sam 25.6 The voice of ioy and salvation shall be in our Labernacles Psâ— 8 15. We shall reioyce both young men and old together and our mourning shall be turned into ioy Nay God himselfe will rejâ—yce in our Land and joy in us his people and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in it Ier. 21 1â— nor-the voice of crying Esa 65.19 He will reioyce over us to doe us good and place us in this land with stability The God of peace will be peace unto us Ien 32.41 Christ the Prince of peace will be our peace Rom 15.33 The Spirit of peace and unity Esa â— 6 Eph 2.14 Gal â— â—1 will keepe us in peace and love Lastly Eph 4.3 â— Reg. â—â— 20 Rom 14.17 Luc 19.38 we shall not only live here in peace but we shall be gathered to our fathers and to our grave sin peace And after this life enioy everlasting peace we shall have peace and ioy in the holy Ghost here and peace in Heaven hereafter All which he grant us c. FINIS Poenitentiall Prayers LEt us redeeme the time Eph. 5.16 because the dayes are evill And let us repent Acts 3 1â— and turne from our wickednesse and our sinnes shall be forgiven us Let every one turne from his evill way Ion. 3.8.9 for who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne from his fierce anger that we perish not POnder our wordes ô Lord and consider our meditation Psal 51 Oh hearken unto the voice of our calling our King and our God for unto thee doe we make our prayers Oh God 22.20 We cry in the day time and thou hearest not and in the night season also we take no rest Thine indignation