to supplant my neighbours full of jealousies and suspition scornfull and censorious burdensome to my friends ingratefull to my benefactors imperious to my inferious boasting to have said what I said not to have seen what I saw not to have done what I did not and have both said and seen and done what I ought not provoking thy divine Majesty with a continuall course of sinne and vanity And yet O Lord thou hast spared me all this while and hast not taken away my life in the midst of my sinnes which is a mercy so admirable and of so vast a kindnesse as no heart or tongue can think or speak If thou hadst dealt with me according as I had deserved and might justly have expected I had been now now at this instant seal'd up to an eternity of torments hopelessely miserable fearing the revelation of thy day with an insupportable amazement and now under the sweet influences of thy mercies J am praying to thee confessing my sinnes with shame indeed at my basenesse and ingratitude but with a full hope and confidence in thy mercy O turne the eyes of thy divine clemency with a gracious aspect upon a wretched sinner open the bowels of thy mercy and receive me into favour O my dear God let thy grace speedily worke that in me for which thou so long hast spared me and to which thou didst designe me in thy holy purposes and mercies of eternity even a true faith and a holy life conformable to thy will and in order to eternall blessednesse I remember O Lord the many fatherly expressions and examples of thy mercies to repenting sinners thy delight in our conversion thy unwillingnesse to destroy us thy earnest invitation of us to grace and life thy displeasure at our dangers and miseries the infinite variety of meanes thou usest to bring us from the gates of death and to make us happy to eternity These mercies O Lord are so essentiall to thee that thou canst not but be infinitly pleased in demonstrations of them Remember not O Lord how we have despised thy mercies sleighted thy judgements neglected thy Commandments but now at length establish in us great contrition for our sinnes leade us on to humble confession and dereliction of them and let thy grace make us bring forth fruits meet for repentance fruits of justice of hope of charity of religion and devotion that we may be what thou delightest in holy and just and mercifull vessels prepared for honour temples of the holy Ghost and instruments of thy praises to all eternity O blessed Iesu who livest and reignest ever one God world without end Amen O Lord Jesu Christ Son of the eternall God interpose thy holy Death thy Crosse and Passion between thy judgement and my soule now and in the houre of my death granting unto me grace and mercy to all faithfull people pardon and peace to the Church unity and amity and to all sinners repentance and amendment to us all life and glory everlasting who livest and reignest ever one God world without end Amen A Forme of thankesgiving with a particular enumeration of Gods blessings MOst glorious Lord God infinite in mercy full of compassion long suffering and of great goodnesse I adore and praise and glorifie thy holy Name worshipping thee with the lowliest devotions of my soule and body and give thee thankes for all the benefits thou hast done unto me for whatsoever I am or have or know or desire as I ought it is all from thee thou art the Fountain of being and blessing of sanctity and pardon of life and glory Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy Name Thou O God of thine infinite goodnesse hast created me of nothing and hast given me a degree of essence next to Angels imprinting thine Image on me enduing me with reasonable faculties of will and understanding to know and chuse good and to refuse evill and hast put me into a capacity of a blessed immortality O praise the Lord with me and let us magnifie his Name together Thou O God of thy great mercy hast given me a comely body a good understanding streight limbes a ready and unloosed tongue whereas with justice thou mightest have made me crooked and deformed sottish and slow of apprehension imperfect and impedite in all my faculties O give thankes unto the God of Heaven for his mercy endureth for ever Thou O God of thy glorious mercies hast caused me to be borne of Christian parents and didst not suffer me to be strangled in the wombe but gavest me opportunity of holy Baptisme and hast ever since blessed me with education in Christian Religion Thy way O God is holy who is so great a God as our God Thou O God out of thine abundant kindnesse hast made admirable variety of creatures to minister to my use to serve my necessity to preserve and restore my health to be an ornament to my body to be representations of thy power and of thy mercy Vnto thee O God will I pay my vowes unto thee will I give thankes Thou O God of thine admirable and glorious mercy hast made thine Angels ministring spirits for my protection and defence against all the hostilities of the Devill thou hast set a hedge about me and such a guard as all the power of hell and earth cannot overcome thou hast preserved me by thy holy providence and the ministery of Angels from drowning from burning from precipice from deformities from fracture of bones and all the snares of evill and the great violations of health which many of my betters suffer I will give thankes unto thee O Lord with my whole heart even before the gods will I sing praise unto thee Thou O most mercifull God hast fed me and clothed me hast raised me up friends and blessed them hast preserved me in dangers hast rescued me from the fury of the sword from the rage of pestilence from perishing in publike distemperatures and diseases epidemicall from terrours and affrightments of the night from illusions of the Devill and sad apparitions thou hast been my guide in my journies my refreshment in sadnesses my hope and my confidence in all my griefes and desolations O give thankes unto the Lord of lords for his mercy endureth for ever But above all mercies it was not lesse than infinite whereby thou lovedst me and all mankinde when we were lost and dead and rebells against thy Divine Majesty thou gavest thine owne begotten Son to seek us when we went astray to restore us to life when we were dead in trespasses and sinnes and to reconcile us to thy selfe by the mercies and the atonement of an everlasting covenant He is our God even the God of whom commeth salvation God is the Lord by whom we escape death O most blessed Iesu I praise adore thine infinite mercies humility and condescension that for my sake thou wouldest descend from the bosome of thy heavenly Father into the
desertion affliction or sadnesse but such as may be an instrument of thy glorie and their eternall comfort in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen IX A Prayer of a wife for her Husband O My God who hast graciously pleased to call me to the holy state of Matrimonie blesse me in it with the grace of chastitie with loyaltie obedience and complacencie to my Husband and blesse him with long life with a healthfull bodie with an understanding soule with abundance of all thy graces which may make him to be and continue thy servant a true son of the Church a supporter and a guide to me his wife a blessing and a comfort to his children through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen X. Of a Husband for his Wife O Mercifull God who art a Father to us thy Children a Spouse to thy holy Church a Saviour and Redeemer to all mankinde have mercie upon thy Handmaid my wife endue her with all the ornaments of thy heavenly grace make her to be holy and devout as Hester loving and amiable as Rachel fruitfull as Leah wise as Rebeccah faithfull and obedient as Sarah that being filled with thy grace and benediction here she may be partaker of thy glorie hereafter through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen XI For a Curate to say in behalfe of his Parish O Blessed Jesu thou that art an eternall Priest an universall Bishop and the Fountain of all ghostly good have mercy upon this Parish which thou hast concredited to my charge Lord I am unfit for so great a burden but by thy aide and gracious acceptation I hope for mercy pardon and assistance O Lord send thy holy Spirit to dwell amongst us let here be peace and charity and true Catholike Religion and holy Discipline Comfort the comfortlesse heale the sicke relieve the oppressed instruct the ignorant correct the refractory keep us all from all deadly sin and make them obedient to their superiours friendly to one another and servants of thy Divine Majestie that so from thy favour they may obtain blessings in their bodies in their soules in their estates and a supply to all their necessities till at last they be freed from all dangers and necessities in the full fruition of thy everlasting glories O blessed Saviour and Redeemer Iesu. Amen XII For a Parishioner to say in behalfe of his Curate O God Almighty who art pleased to send thy blessings upon us by the Ministration of the Bishops and Priests of thy holy Church have mercie upon thy servant to whom is committed the care of my soule that he by whose meanes thou art graciously pleased to advance my spirituall good may by thy grace and favour be protected by thy providence assisted by thy great mercies comforted and relieued in all his necessities bodily and ghostly through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen XIII For safe Child-birth O Blessed Iesu Son of the eternall God who according to thy humanitie wert borne of a holy Maid who conceived thee without sin and brought thee forth without pain have mercie upon me thy humble servant and as by thy blessing I have conceived so grant that by thy favourable assistance I may be safely delivered Lord grant me patience and strength and confidence in thee and send thy holy Angel to be my guardian in the houre of my travaile O shut not up my soule with sinners nor my life with them that go down into the pit I humbly also begge mercie for my childe grant it may be borne with it's right shape give it a comely bodie an understanding soule life and opportunitie of Baptisme and thy grace from the cradle to the grave that it may increase the number of Saints in that holy Fellowship of Saints and Angels where thou livest and reignest eternall God world without end Amen XIV Before a journey O God who didst preserve thy servants Abraham and Jacob thy People Israel thy servant Tobias and the wisemen of the East in their severall journies by thy Providence by a ministerie of Angels by a pillar of fire and by the guidance of a Starre vouchsafe to preserve us thy servants in the way we are now to go Be O Lord unto us a Guide in our preparation a shadow in the Day and a covering by Night a rest to our wearinesse and a staffe to our weaknesse a patron in adversitie a protection from danger that by thy assistance we may performe our journey safely to thy honour to our owne comfort and with safetie may returne and at last bring us to the everlasting rest of our heavenly Countrey through him who is the way the truth and the life our blessed Lord and Saviour Iesus Amen XV For afflicted persons O Lord God mercifull and gracious whose compassion extends to all that are in miserie and need and takest delight in the relieving the distresses of the afflicted give refreshment to all the comfortlesse provide for the poore give ease to all them that are tormented with sharpe paines health to the diseased libertie and redemption to the captives chearfulnesse of spirit to all them that are in great desolations Lord let thy Spirit confirme all that are strong strengthen all that are weake and speake peace to afflicted consciences that the light of thy countenance being restored to them they may rejoyce in thy salvation and sing praises unto thy Name who hast delivered their soules from death their eyes from teares and their feet from falling Grant this for the honour of thy mercies and the glorie of thy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen XVI For our Enemies O Blessed Iesu who wert of so infinite mercies so transcendent a charitie that thou didst descend from Heaven to the bowels of the earth that thou mightest reconcile us who were enemies to the mercies of thy heavenly Father and in imitation of so glorious example hast commanded us to love them that hate us and to pray for them that are our enemies I beseech thee of thine infinite goodnesse that thou wouldst be pleased to keep me with thy grace in so much meeknesse justice and affable disposition that I may so farre as concernes me live peaceably with all men giving no man occasion of offence and 〈◊〉 them who hate me without a cause I beseech thee give thy pardon and fill them with chaâ—iâ—â—e towards thee and all the world blesse them with all blessings in order to eternitie that when they are reconciled to thee we also may be united with the bands of Faith and Love and a common hope and at last we may be removed to the glories of thy Kingdome which is full of love and eternall charitie and where thou livest 〈◊〉 reignest ever one God world without end Amen XVII A Prayer to be said upon Ember-dayes O Mercifull Iesu who hast promised perpetuitie to the Church and a permanencie in defiance of all the powers of darknesse and the gates of hell and to this purpose hast constituted severall orders leaving a power to the Apostles and their Successours the Bishops to beget Fathers of our soules and to appoint Priests and Deacons for the edification of the Church the benefit of all Christian People and the advancement of thy service have mercie upon thy Ministers the Bishops give them for ever great measure of thy holy Spirit and at this time particular assistances and a power of discerning and trying the spirits of them who come to be ordained to the Ministerie of thy Word and Sacraments that they may lay hands suddenly on no man but maturely prudently and piously they may appoint such to thy service and the Ministerie of thy Kingdome who by learning discretion and a holy life are apt instruments for the conversion of soules to be examples to the People guides of their manners comforters of their sorrowes to sustaine their weaknesses and able to promote all the interests of true Religion Grant this O great Shepheard 〈◊〉 Bishop of our soules â—â—essed Iesus who livest and reignest in the Kingdome of thinâ—â—â—â—rnall Father one God world without end 〈◊〉 Sanctus Deus Sanctus Fortis Sanctus Immortalis FINIS
DEVOTIONS FOR THE Helpe and assistance OF ALL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE In all occasions and necessities Printed in the Yeare 1644. A Prayer against wandring thoughts to be said at the beginning of our devotions ALmighty God who hast commanded us to pray unto thee without ceasing and hast added many glorious promises for our incouragement let thy holy Spirit teach me how to pray give me just apprehensions of my wants zeale of thy glory great resentment of thy mercies love of all spirituall imployments that are pleasing unto thee and do thou helpe mine infirmites that the Devill may not abuse my fancy with illusions nor distract my minde with cares nor alienate my thoughts with impertinencies but give me a present minde great devotion a heart fixed upon thy divine beauties and an actuall intention and perseverance in my prayers that I may glorifie thy Name do unto thee true and laudable service and obtain reliefe for all my necessities Heare me O King of Heaven when I call upon thee for thou hast promised mercy to them that pray in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen Penitentiall Prayers and a Forme of Confession of sinnes to God to be said upon dayes of publique or private humiliation O Lord God of mercy and pardon give me a just remembrance and sad apprehensions of my sinnes teach me to bewaile them with as great an indignation and bitternesse as I have committed them with complacency and delight Let my prayers and my confession come into thy presence and obtaine a mercy for me and a pardon Let not thy justice and severity so remember my sinnes as to forget thine own mercy and though I have committed that for which I deserve to be condemned yet thou canst not loose that glorious attribute whence flowes comfort to us and hopes of being saved Spare me therefore O mercifull God for to give pardon to a sinner that confesseth his sinnes and begges remission is not impossible to thy power nor disproportionate to thy justice nor unusuall to thy mercy and sweetest clemency Blessed Jesu acknowledge in me whatsoever is thine and cleanse me from whatsoever is amisse Have pittie on me now in the time of mercy and condemne me not when thou commest to judgement for what profit is there in my bloud Thou delightest not in the death of a sinner but in his conversion there is joy in Heaven and when thou hast delivered me from my sinnes and saved my soule I shall praise and magnifie thy Name to all eternity Mercy sweet Jesu Mercy Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Our Father which art in Heaven c. I am not worthy O Lord to look up to Heaven which is the Throne of thy purity for my sins are moe in number than the haires upon my head and my heart hath failed me Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have not lived according to thy will but in the vanity of mine own thoughts in idle sinfull and impertinent language in foolish actions in blindnesse of heart in contempt of thy holy Word and Commandments I have not loved thee my God with all my heart nor feared thee with all my soule nor served thee with all my might according to thy holy precept nor loved my neighbour as my selfe Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have been unthankfull to thy Divine Majesty forgetting that thou madest me and preservest me to thy Son my blessed Saviour forgetting the bitter paines he suffered for me and to the holy Ghost forgetting how many gracious influences I have received from him for my helpe comfort and promotion in the wayes of holy Religion but have rebelled against thee my Maker have sold my selfe to worke wickednesse from whence by the passion of thy holy Son I was redeemed and have resisted the holy Ghost Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have offended thee my God in an inordinate estimation of my selfe in vaine complacencies and desires to be esteemed as much or more than others in not suffering with meeknesse indifference and obedience the humiliations sent to me by thy divine providence in haughty deportment toward my superiours equals and inferiours and in accepting such honours as have been done to me without returning them to thee the Fountaine Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have offended thee my God in impatience in anger intemperate in degree inordinate in the object growing peevish and disquieted by trifling inadvertencies of others and slight accidents about me Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have offended thee my God by being envious at the prosperous successes and advantages of my neighbours and have had resentments of joy at their displeasures and sadnesses Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have been negligent in performance of my charge idle in doing my duties soft and effeminate in my life indevout in my prayers slothfull in the exercises of Religion weary of their length displeased at their returne without advertency in the execution of them and glad at an occasion of their pretermission Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have been diligent and curious in pleasing my appetite of meat and drinke and pleasures loosing my time pampering my flesh quenching the Spirit making matter both for sin and sicknesses and have not been sedulous in mortifying my body for the subduing mine owne intemperances and inordination Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have been an improvident steward of the good things thou hast given me I have loved them inordinately sought them greedily and unjustly dispensed them idlely parted with them unwillingly I have not been so charitable to the poore or so pittifull to the afflicted or so compassionate to the sicke or so apt to succour and give supply to the miseries of my neighbours as I ought but have too much minded things below not setting mine affections upon Heaven and heavenly things but have been unlike thee in all things I have been unmercifull and unjust Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Mine eyes O Lord have wandred after vanity beholding and looking after things unseemly without displeasure despising my neighbours prying into their faults but have been blinde not seeing mine own sinnes and infinite irregularities Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have not with care kept the doore of my lips nor bridled my tongue but have been excessive in talking immoderate in dissolute and wanton laughter apt to lie to deny truth to accuse others to scoffe at them to aggravate their faults to lessen their worth to give rash judgement to flatter for advantage to speake of thy Name irreverently and without religious or grave occasions our discourses have been allayed with slander and backbiting not apt to edifie or minister grace unto the hearers Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Mine eares have been greedy after vanity listening after things unprofitable or that might tend to the prejudice of my neighbours and have