incomparable Jewel that ever this world had or sons of men enjoyed the Ministery of the Word and meanes of salvation the discovery of the mystery of CHRIST and revelation of all thy blessed counsells By the power whereof so many amongst us as have truly tasted how gratious and glorious thou art in CHRIST doe blesse magnifie and admire the bottomelesse depth and infinite height of thy free grace for our happy conversion from Satan to the living GOD for our change from nature to grace a greater and more glorious work then the Creation of the world wherein thou hast improved thine owne infinite mercie the unvaluable merit of thy Sonne and the mighty worke of the HOLY GHOST to make us of limbs of the divell members of CHRIST O blessed be that happy time that ever we were so new borne Wee thanke thee for pardoning all our sins the least of which would have damned us everlastingly for renewing upon our soules the blessed image of the LORD JESVS the least glimpse whereof is infinitely more worth then the whole world We thank thee for the LORD JESVS and every drop of his pretious blood and all other sweetnesse wee finde in him for thy good Spirit and his gratious presence and residence in our soules for thy blessed selfe and all the sweete Communion we have with thy holy Majesty for the prayers of thy children Communion of Saints and the Intercession of JESVS CHRIST We thanke thee heartily for any power or conquest thou givest us at any time over our sins for all our ability to doe thee any service in any part or kinde of thy worship for all those afflictions and temptations which thou hast sanctified for our spirituall good for all the sweete and heavenly dewes of spirituall joy which thou hast at any time shed into any of our hearts from the throne of grace by the influence of thy holy Spirit Blessed GOD wee thanke thee infinitely for those glorious mansions of rest for our everlasting blessings and peace purchased for us with the blood of CHRIST for every moment of eternity in the highest Heavens where wee shall fully and for ever enjoy pleasures without end and past imagination O blessed Joyes O blessed Eternity O ever-blessed GOD Furthermore gratious Father wee heartily praise thee for all those publique favours and blessings which in great mercy thou hast from time to time vouchsafed unto this Kingdome wherein we have had a large and comfortable part We thanke thee good Father for the happy deliverance of this Kingdome from the fiery and bloudy times of Queene Mary for raising up Queene Elizabeth who raised Religion as it were by a miracle from the dead for all her miraculous deliverances from the cruell conspiracies of the bloody Papists especially that in 88. For all her blessed daies wherein so many Holy Saints were sent to Heaven We thanke thee mercifull GOD for delivering us from the rage and bloud of that day so long looked for by the Papists at Queene Elizabeths death for the quiet and happy succession of King Iames of blessed memory and all the peace and prosperity and freedome from Popery and the destroying sword especially the Powder-plot We thanke thee Father most heartily for the gratious setling of King CHARLES in the Royall Throne for his life and safety and the happy daies we enjoy under his blessed raigne and that thou hast put into his royall heart to give us this blessed liberty and glorious opportunity thus to humble our selves and afflict our soules in publique before thy glorious Majesty We humbly intreate thee in the name of CHRIST let every one of us receive at thy bountifull hands grace and power to doe it unfainedly effectually and savingly For that purpose let thy blessings fall abundantly from Heaven upon every soule here present by the Ministery of thy Word settle fast we pray thee by the finger of thy Holy Spirit in our memories judgement affections hearts and consciences all those points of Holy Truth with which wee have beene acquainted with this day that by thy mercifull blessing they may prove thy arme and power to every one of us for our salvation for the conversion of those who are yet uncalled and the setting forward of those that are already thine in the waies of life all holy conversation and neerer communion with thy blessed Majesty At last we cannot but reflect with compassionare hearts upon the grievous miseries and bleeding sorrowes of all our brethren and sisters afflicted with the plague of Pestilence Thou art a pitifull GOD full of tendernesse meltings and compassions thou art the Father of mercies and GOD of all comforts now we humbly intreate thee for thy deare Sonnes sake for thy infinite mercies sake for thy holy names sake of all thy loves unto the LORD JESVS and that with all the earnestnesse and fervency our poore dull hearts can possibly that thou wouldest bee pleased to cast downe thy compassionate eye upon them all stay the hand of thy destroying Angell spare them good LORD destroy not the people of thine inheritance put up we pray thee thy arrowes into thy quiver and thy sword into the sheath now at the joynt supplications of all thy deare children who are in this Kingdome who are even now wrastling with thee with all fervency of spirit let our poore prayers and all theirs even now meeting at the throne of grace bee mightily strengthened and tendered unto thee by the intercession of the LORD JESVS and pull downe speedily upon us this mercy and gratious deliverance that we may praise thee for evermore Lastly blessed LORD we humbly beseech thee to pardon in mercy all those corruptions infirmities faylings defects and imperfections which have beene mingled with these holy duties sprinkle all our services sacrifices and persons with the blood of that immaculate Lambe JESVS CHRIST the holy and the Righteous accept them and us gratiously in him in whom thou art well pleased in whom thy soule doth infinitely delight And so good Father we put our selves under the wings of thy gratious providence for our safety and preservation and our soules into the hands of the Holy Ghost for our further Sanctification and finall salvation in the name of JESVS CHRIST to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost even to thee holiest Father to thee dearest Saviour to thee sweetest Spirit be ascribed eternity infinitenesse and everlastingnesse of glory and praise world without end The Authors private Prayer O My good and mercifull LORD GOD most holy and deare Father in JESVS CHRIST I the vilest of all thy creatures and the worst that ever thou madest by reason of mine owne horrible sins doe here come unto thee upon the bended knees of my bleeding soule to intreate thee and beg at thy hands with all the instancy and fervency my poore dull cold heart can possibly for pardon grace and mercy for favour compassion and abundant forgivenesse O LORD my GOD thou knowest me full well and
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
sinnes both before and since our calling in the grave of CHRIST JESVS and hide them in his righteousnesse for evermore There is no helpe or comfort to be had either in Heaven or in Earth in Angels Saints or mortall men to our wounded consciences but onely in the spotlesse justice of thy deare Son Give assurance therefore we beseech thee to every one of our soules that his pretious bloud was shed for our sinnes in particular that wee may sensibly feele the forgivenesse of our sins and rejoyce in the hope of eternall life In His blessed name we give thee all possible thankes for those many mercies and comforts which thou hast plentifully bestowed upon us most unworthy wretches We thanke thee deare Father for our health wealth and liberty for our peace plenty and prosperity for our food and apparell for our preservation from our cradle to this howre and all the good meanes of these but more especially for the more speciall tokens of thy great love for these we have common with the reprobates and those which shall never see thy face with comfort but after a short time spent in the miserable pleasures of this vaine world shall be turn'd to hell and everlasting fire We thanke thee for chusing us before all worlds to be heires of Heaven and Citizens with thy Saints We thanke thee for confirming unto us our Election by our effectuall calling O happy be that blessed time when thy good Spirit put the first motions into our hearts to become thy children This is the blessing wee infinitely esteeme before al worldly comforts and wherein is the preciousnesse of all true joy and contentment O most loving and gracious Father we beseech thee goe forward with the worke of this our New-birth that thou hast begun in us and never take away thy hand unto the day of JESVS CHRIST Thou hast promised that whom thou hast loved once thou wilt love for ever and thou art without all shadow of change and sooner shall the mountaines bee cast into the Sea before one jot of thy gracious promise fall unto the ground or one title of thy Word be unaccomplisht Take from us therefore wee beseech thee all privy pride and hypocrisie all vanity and vaine-glory all dullnesse backwardnesse and security in thy service which hang so fast on which cleave so close unto our soules and fearefully hinder us in the course of godlinesse but above all things let us never fall backe againe into the grosse and horrible sinnes of our unregeneration Reveale unto us we beseech thee all our sinnes give us tender consciences and a continuall increase in spirituall wisedome and heavenly understanding untill we come unto that happy strength by which the world is crucified unto us and wee unto the world and bee able to say out of the powerfull feeling of thy goodnesse upon our soules with thy blessed servant David GOD is our hope and strength and helpe in troubles ready to bee found Therefore will we not feare though the earth bee mooved and though the mountaines fall into the midst of the Sea Though the waters thereof rage and be troubled and the mountaines shake at the same GOOD LORD bee mercifull with the bowells of thy Fatherly compassions unto thy Church and every member thereof Be gratious unto this sinnefull Kingdome and enter not into judgement with the horrible sins thereof And in the same looke downe we beseech thee with the speciall eye of providence and protection upon the excellent instrument of thy glory our most gracious Soveraigne Give him the spirit of zeale wisedome and governement that he may long and religiously raigne over us in despight of all his enemies both at home and abroad Blesse all his Counsellors both our Universities Oxford and Cambridge the Nobility of this Land the Gentry all inferiour Magistrates all Judges and Justices of Peace those that are imployd in fighting thy battells either by Land or Sea Give to every one a spirit to his calling Leade them all into thy Sanctuary and teach them out of thy holy Word first and chiefly those things which concerne thy honour and glory the good of the people that depend upon them and lastly the salvation and comfort of their owne soules at the dreadfull day of judgement when they shall give an account of their stewardships Enrich wee beseech thee with many graces of zeale faithfullnesse and sincerity the Ministers and Preachers of thy holy Word blesse their labours that some good may come of them increase their number place over every Congregation a faithfull and religious Watchman that may go in and out before thy people in soundnesse of doctrine and uprightnesse of conversation Touch the hearts of the many multitudes of this Land that at length they may turne unto thy truth and so be delivered out of the tyranny and power of Satan to the freedome of thy deare Son CHRIST JESVS our LORD Give successe good LORD and prosper all those which in their good purposes seeke the preferment of thy truth by good and lawfull meanes Blesse all them that thou hast joyned unto us with any bond of love kinred or acquaintance all those whose hearts thou hast stird up to doe us good any manner of waies and those also which wish and worke us evill if they belong unto thee Comfort O LORD with thy sweetest comforts all thy children which are vexed either in soule or body whether by Pestilence Famine Warre poverty imprisonment sicknesse or banishment trouble of conscience vexation of spirit disquietnesse of minde want of spirituall comfort or whatsoever kinde of affliction of body or mind thou dost try them with Give them in the meane time faith in thy promises and comfort in thy Spirit and in thy good time a happy deliverance whether by life or by death as it shall be best to thy honour and glory and good of their owne soules But especially as we are bound at this time we humbly intreate thy loving kindnesse and tender mercies for our poore afflicted brethren and sisters here about us in London Oxford and many other places of this Land O LORD stay thy revenging hand Though wee bee but wormes and dust yet thou art our Creator and we the worke of thy hands Thou art our Father and wee thy children Thou art our Shepheard and we thy sheep Thou art our Redeemer and wee the people whom thou hast bought Thou art our GOD and we thine inheritance Forget not therefore O LORD to be gracious and shut not up thy loving kindnesse in displeasure turne thee againe at the last and bee gracious unto thy servants And grant wee beseech thee that these great judgements may effect and worke that for which they were sent even true humiliation and undissembled repentance that we all turning unto thee in truth and sincerity thou maist turne unto us with thy mercies and everlasting compassions And whereas we whom of thy great goodnesse thou hast thus long time spared are as deepe
and retaine them in our mindes with full purpose of heart to put them in practise c. O LORD bee mercifull unto us pardon and forgive us all our sinnes our many abuses of thy great benefits and mercies especially of thy holy Word passe by we beseech thee our many infirmities and weaknesses Sanctifie unto us at this time our hearing reading and conferring of thy sacred Word Blesse our conceptions and memories that we may rightly conceive it and reteine it in our minds with full purpose of heart to practise it in our lives and conversations Range into order our worldly and wandring thoughts that we may with reverence and attention receive it meditate of it and lay it close unto our hearts that so by thy good blessing wee may bring forth much and good fruit A thankesgiving for the Kings returne out of Spaine and a prayer for his prosperitie ANd as we are specially and extraordinarily bound at this time wee humbly and heartily thanke thee for the safe and comfortable returne of our gracious Prince CHARLES It hath beene from thy great mercy and goodnesse that thou hast gone in and out before him and walkt by him in his most dangerous journey and kept him in all his waies That thou hast beene a brazen wall and fiery pillar about him both by Land and Sea and preserv'd him from every hurtfull snare both of soule and body and broughtst him with peace and comfort againe unto his Fathers house Blessed and bountifull LORD GOD we heartily praise and magnifie we humbly admire and adore the length and breadth and height and depth of thy free grace and love therein to thy Church and Gospell and all that are true of heart Enlarge our hearts we pray thee with all heartinesse and truth to blesse thy great and holy Name the fountaine of all blisse the author of all our good the well-spring of immortality and life wherein we live and move and have our being both naturall spirituall and eternall And good LORD goe on with that glorious and happy worke of blessing him still so settle and establish the feare of thy great Name and truth of our blessed Religion in his Princely heart that he may stand therein like Mount Sion and never be removed So guide and direct by thine own mercifull hand all those great affaires which any waies concerne him and with wisdome from the brest of the everlasting counsell of the LORD JESVS that hee may hereafter prove a glorious and renowned Instrument for the advancement of the Gospel of JESVS CHRIST that the heavenly lampe of thy blessed truth may shine faire and pure upon us all our daies and afterwards upon our children and childrens children to the worlds end and the comming of JESVS CHRIST the second time A Prayer for wholesome and seasonable weather STay thy wrath most gratious Father wee humbly intreate thee in this heavie judgement that is growing upon us by this unseasonable weather Thou hast richly loaden and crowned the earth with abundance of thy goodnesse and bounty Add this mercy we pray thee to give a convenient season season to gather it in comfortably We confesse and acknowledge before thee we farre rather deserve that thou shouldst raine downe fire and brimstone upon our heads for our many horrible sinnes that great one the contempt of thy Word which makes us worse then Sodomites then that thou shouldest answer us in this our desire But wee beseech thee in mercy make us first sensible of thy just displeasure to be humbled to the heart root to part from all our evill waies and to seeke thy face and favour extraordinarily and then returne unto us in thy wonted compassion and love In visitation of the sicke WE confesse unto thee mercifull LORD GOD that out of the consideration of our owne many pollutions and imperfections and the glorious purity of thy holy nature wee finde and feele our selves most unworthy and very fearefull to speake unto thy Majesty either for our selves or others yet because it hath pleased thee to give us a commandement and charge to performe this duty of praying one for another and having a gracious promise annexed of prevailing with thee if our prayers be faithfull and fervent We are bold here upon the knees of our soules with all the instancy and fervency our poore dull hearts can possibly to intreate thy favour and mercy for thy servant our deare Christian Brother that lies here amongst us upon his bed of sicknesse under thy visiting hand Oh blessed LORD we humbly beseech thee for thy CHRIST his sake thy holy Names sake thy infinite mercies sake thy covenant sake to looke downe from Heaven upon him with the eye and affection of tender-heartednesse love Let the loving countenance and cheerefull face of JESVS CHRIST shine comfortably upon him let the powerfull presence of thy sanctifying spirit possesse his heart wholy with all the graces of salvation and blessings of Heaven let the word of thy grace put quickning life and sanctifying power into his soule that it may be rais'd from earth and sin to rest and peace in the bosome of thy compassions Deale with him we pray thee as thou usest to deale with those whom thou fashions and frames for the joyes and pleasures of the life to come Sanctifie O LORD unto him this present sicknesse let it by thy blessings upon it breake and plow up his heart soundly and thorowly to search and to try his waies that so out of the abundance of his feeling he may powre out a most plentifull and sincere confession of his sinnes before thee and groanes and sighs and desires unutterable for pardon and remission of them all in the blood of thy Sonne Let it we pray thee beget and bring forth in him those blessed effects and happy ends which in such cases thou art wont to worke upon the soules of holy men and women Let him upon this occasion bee truly humbled under thy mighty hand with sight of his owne vilenesse frailty and sinfull miseries that from thence may spring in him an unfained and longing desire after CHRIST and comforts of salvation Let him shake off all carnall security dependance or confidence upon the arme of flesh or upon any glory and vanity in this life Let his repentance upon this occasion be performed unto thee with more sincerity universality and thorownesse then ever heretofore A Prayer when any drawes neere unto death O Mercifull LORD GOD upon the knees of our soules and from the ground and bottome of our hearts we humbly beseech thee that wherein soever Satan hath any waies blinded him or his own heart deceived him or how farre soever the image of CHRIST hath beene defaced and decayed in him All his omissions of good duties all his defects and wants in faith repentance prayer obedience c. or whatsoever I say wee most humbly beseech thee to forgive and pardon them all for the passions sake of thine onely Sonne Whatsoever at
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
have made them much more sinfull by our actuall transgressions ever since we have added a great deale of folly in respect of the mystery of CHRIST every way LORD thou knowest we are become exceeding sinfull We humbly intreate thee in the name of the LORD JESVS to illighten our mindes and open our eyes to see the length and breadth the height and depth of this our sinfull misery for which thou mightest justly bring upon us all the curses in thy booke and all the torments in hell and in the meane time plague us with giving us over to more hardnesse of heart blindnesse of minde deadnesse of conscience slavery under our lusts a reprobate sence and to be finally sealed up with the spirit of slumber against the day of vengeance which are farre worse then all the plagues of Egypt 1. Thou mightest Holy Father even thine owne selfe for our many dishonours and disobedience against thee draw that sword against us that would eate flesh and drinke blood suffer that wrath to be kindled in thy bosome against us which would burne unto the bottome of Hell come against us as a Beare robbed of her whelps and rent the caule of our hearts and teare us in peeces like a Lyon when there is none to helpe 2. Thine owne deare Sonne might for ever deny us his pretious bloud to wash away the least staine from our sinfull soules 3. Thy Holy Spirit might never more put any motion into our hearts 4. Thy blessed Angels might take no more charge over us or be ministring spirits unto us for our good but leave us as a prey to that roaring Lyon and his damned Angels 5. All the Creatures might come justly armed against us with their severall stings and rage to make an end of us for rebelling against thee their Creator 6. This Kingdome wherein we live might justly fall into the mouth of some horrible confusion and we inwrapt in the miseries and desolations thereof 7. All crosses afflictions and thine angry visitations upon us might be unto us the very beginnings of Hellish paines 8. Thy many mercies unto us which should leade us unto repentance might onely serve to far us against the day of slaughter 9. The day of our gratious visitation might end and the Sun set upon the Prophets 10. All thy blessed Ordinances might bee unto us the savour of death unto death 11. Our bodies and soules might bee most justly cast into the bottome of Hell there to be tormented with the damned for ever and ever O LORD our GOD we humbly beseech thee for the LORD JESUS his sake let a serious consideration of this our sinfullnesse and cursednesse breake our stony hearts into peeces make them burst and bleed within us and good LORD our GOD we being thus sincerely humbled let us get faster hold upon the LORD JESVS with a sound and fruitfull faith then heretofore by a stedfast looking upon him and all his sufferings and satisfactions from his comming from thy bosome untill his returning unto thy right hand againe by survaying all the promises of of life sealed with his blood by cleaving to his sweetest name which is to forgive iniquity transgression and sin and resting our selves with a thankfull and joyfull acknowledgement upon that blessed mystery of his free grace which reacheth from everlasting to everlasting c. A Thankesgiving MOst mighty and most glorious Lord God of Heaven and Earth our light and life our Sun and shield the strength of our hearts and our portion forever Thou art the Author of all our good the fountaine of all our blisse the well-spring of immortality and life wherein we live and move and have our being even our naturall spirituall and eternall being And therefore to thy great and glorious Majesty we render from the bottome of our hearts all possible praise and thankesgiving for all those glorious mercies and richest favours which thou from time to time hast abundantly and plentifully vouchsafed unto us most rebellious unthankfull and undeserving wretches We thanke thee for the well-head and first fountaine of them all thy love towards us and of all our good every way even the good pleasure of thine own good will thy free grace and that mercy that reacheth from everlasting to everlasting We thanke thee for putting us into this world in the best and blessed part and time thereof We might have beene borne and lived in the time of the flood and so beene drown'd and damn'd or within the compasse of that almost foure thousand yeares betweene the Creation and the comming of CHRIST out of the partition wall and so have had no meanes or ordinary possibility of salvation But have lived and dyed in cursed Paganisme and Heathenish Idolatry we might have lived in that darke and damned mid-night and have beene choakt with the doctrine of divels wee might have lived at this time of the world but amongst Turks Pagans Infidels where wee should never have heard savingly of JESVS CHRIST It 's thy infinite mercy wee have beene borne and bread and brought up in this happy time of the world and blessed corner of the Earth this illightned Goshan where we have enjoyed or might have enjoyed the glorious Gospell of our blessed GOD with such purity power and peace We thank thee blessed GOD for making us reasonable Creatures capable of grace and immortality Thou mightest have let us lie for ever in that abhorred state of being nothing and wee should never have dishonoured thee Thou mightest have made us of those Angels that are become wicked spirits and then we had beene irrecoverably lost Thou mightest have made us Toads or Tygers vermine or any vild thing and we should never have prooved such Traytors and rebells against thee as we have beene O LORD we praise thee that thou hast made us of thy noblest Creatures and given us understandings like the Angels of GOD so that if we be not cursedly cruell to our owne soules they may be saved everlastingly by the meanes that we enjoy We blesse thee Holy Father for thy Fatherly care of us being yet in our mothers wombe wonderfully and fearefully made For that miraculous mercy in bringing us into this world and giving us leave to see this light For thy gratious watching over us while wee hung upon our mothers breasts since that time for thy mercifull continuance to us of our life health liberty outward meanes the use of our wits limbs senses for all the good wee have had by good yoake-fellowes good Parents good children good servants good neighbours good governours or any of thy good creatures for every step we have made upon this Earth every bit of bread we have put into our mouthes for every draught of aire we have drawne into these fraile bodies and blessings more then heart can thinke or tongue tell and which we can neither possibly remember or expresse Above all we of this place are bound to praise thy goodnesse most mercifull GOD for that most