continuing in such a dissolute and wicked life as thou doest Where is now become the understanding judgement and reason which thou hast of a man Why art thou not affraid of so horrible so certaine and so assured perils and dangers if there were a dish oâ— meate set before thee and some man albeit hee were a lyer should say unto thee refraine to touch and eate therof for it is poysoned durst thou once adventure to stretch out thy hand to take a taste thereof though the meate were never so savoury and delicate and hee never so great a lyer that should beare thee thus in hand If then the Prophets if the Apostles if the Evangelists yea if Almighty God himselfe doe cry out unto thee and say Take heede thou miserable man for death is in that kinde of meate and death doth lye lurking in that gluttoâ—ous morsell which the divell hath set before thee How daâ—est thou reach for everlasting death with thine owne hands â—nd drinke thine owne damnaâ—ion Where is the applying of â—hy wits thy judgement and the discourse and reason which â—hou hast of a spirituall man Where is their light where is â—heir force Sith that none of â—hem doe bridle thee any whit from thy common usuall vices Oh thou wretched and carelesse creature be witched by the â—ommon enemy Satan adjudgâ—d to everlasting darknesse both inward and outward and so â—oest goe from one darkenesse â—o the other Thou art blinde to see thine owne misery in sensible to understand thine owne perdition and hardeâ— than any Adamant to feele the hammer of Gods word Oh a thousand times most miserable thou art worthy to be lamented with none other teares than with those wherewith thy damnation was lamented when iâ— was said Luke 19. Oh that thou knewest this day the peace quietnesse and treasures which Almighty God hath offered unto thee that doe now lye hidden from thine eyes Oh miserable is the day of thy nativity and much more miserable the day of thy death forsomuch as that shall be the beginning of thine everlasting damnation Oh how much better had it beene for thee never to have been borne if thou shalt be damned in the horrible pit of hell for ever where the torments are perpetually durable How much better had it beene for thee never to have beene baptised not yet to have received the Christian Faith if through the abusing thereof by thy wicked life thy damnation shallt hereby be the greater For if the light of reason onely sufficeth to make the Heathen Philosophers inexcusable because they knowing God in some degree did not glorifie him nor serve him as the Apostle saith in the first to the Romans how much lesse shall hee be excused that hath received the light of faith and the water of Baptisme yea and the holy Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ hearing daily the doctrine of the Gospell if hee doe nothing more than those Pagan Philosophers have done Now what other thing may we inferre of the premises but briefly to conclude That there is none other understanding none other wisedome none other counsell in the world but that setting aside all the impediments and combersome dangerous wayes of this life wee follow that onely true and certaine way whereby true peace and everlasting life is obtained Hereunto are we called by reason by wisedome by law by heaven by earth by hell and by the life death justice and mercy of Almighty God Hereunto are we also very notably invited by the Holy Word spoken by the mouth of Ecclesiasticus in the sixt Chapter in this wise My sonne hearken to instruction even from the first yeares of thy youth and in thy latter daies thou shalt enjoy the sweet fruit of wisedome Approach unto it as one that ploweth and soweth and with patience expect the fruitfull increase which it shall yeeld unto thee The paines that thou shalt take shall bee but little and the benefits that thou shalt speedily enjoy shall be great My son hearken to my words and neglect not this my counsell which I shall give thee put thy feet willingly into her fetters and thy necke into her chaines bow downe thy shoulders and carry her upon thee and be not displeased with her bonds approach neere unto her with all thy heart and follow her wayes with all thy strength seeke for her with all thy diligence and she will make her selfe knowne unto thee and after that thou hast found her never forsake her for by her shalt thou finde rest in thy latter daies and that which before did seeme so painfull unto thee will afterwards become very pleasant Her fetters shall be a defence of thy strength and a foundation of vertue and her chaine shall be a â—obe of glory for in her is the beauty of life and her bonds â—re the bonds of health Hetherto Ecclesiasticus Whereby thou maiest understand in some degree how great the beauty the delights the liberty and riches of true wisedome are which is vertue it selfe and the knowledge of Almighty God wherof wee doe intreate But if all this be insufficient to mollifie our stony hearts lift up thine eyes and fix thy thoughts constantly to behold our omnipotent God in his mercy and love towards sinners upon his dying crosse where he made full satisfaction for thy sinnes There shalt thou behold him in this forme his feet nailed fast looking for thee his armes spread abroad to receive thee and his head bowing downe to give thee as to another prodigall sonne new kisses of peace and attonement From thence hee calleth thee if thou wouldest heare with so many callings and cries as there be wounds in his whole body Hearken thou therefore unto these voyces and consider well with thy selfe that if his prayer be not heard that hearkeneth not unto the cries of the poore how much lesse shall he be heard that maketh himselfe deafe to such cries as these being the most mercifull cryings of our loving Saviour and intended for our soules salvation Who is he that hath not cause to resolve himselfe wholly into teares to weepe and bewaile his manifold offences Who is he that can lament and will not lament at this unlesse he be such a one as seeth not nor careth what great shipwracke waste and havocke he maketh of al the riches and treasures of his soule FINIS GODLY PRAYERS NECESSARY AND VSEFVLL for Christian Families upon severall occasions Therefore I say unto you What things ever yee desire when yee pray beleeve â—â—at ye receive them and yee shall â—â—ve them LONDON Printed by G. M. for M. S. 1629. Godly CHRISTIAN Prayers A houshold Prayer for private Families in the Morning MOst mighty and glorious God the onely Creator and Governour of Heaven and â—arth and all things therein â—ontained we miserable sinners here met together by thy graâ—â— doe in thy feare prostrate selves before thy throne of Majesty and glory desiring in so measure to shew
at least God made me Man I make my selfe a Beast How swelt I with hard travell through the Dale That leads to Prophanations irkesome cell But freeze by softly pacing up the skale Where burning zeale and her bright sisters dwell Thus sweat I in the shadow shake i' th shine And by free choice from good to ill decline Sweet Saviour cleanse my leprous loathsome soule In that depurpled Fount which forth thy side Gurgling did twixt two Lilly-mountaines roule To rinse Mans tainted Race Sin soylifide Wash it more white than the triumphant Swan That rides o' th silver brest of Eridan Suffer my prayers harmony to rise Into thine eares while th' Angels beare a part Accept my Sighs as smelling Sacrifice Sent from the Altar of my bleeding heart Vp to thy nostrils sweet as th' Oyle of Aaron Or th' odoriferous Rose of flowrie Sharon The Hart ne're long'd more for the purling brookes Nor did the lustfull Goate with more pursuit After the blossom'd Tritisolie looke Then do's my panting Soule t' enjoy the fruit Of thy Life-waâ—er which if I attaine To taste of once I ne're shall thirst againe Even as the chapped ground in Summers heat Cals to the clouds and gapes at every showre Whose thirstie Casma's greedily intreat As tho they would th' whole house of heav'n deuour So do's my riven Soule be parcht with sin Yawne wide to let moyst drops of Mercie in Earths Vanitie VAnitie of vanities and all is but vanitie saith the wisest Preacher that ever wrote One generation passeth and another commeth and all is but vexation of spirit Which divine theorem that we may the better perceive let us set our selves to the serious meditation of it for the more we search the more we shall see all things to be vanity nothing constant nothing for our eternall good but our soules salvation Mans life on earth doth no sooner begin but his end approacheth his death hasteneth Some come upon the stage of this world but to have a breathing and are presently gone others stay a while longer it may be a day perhaps a weeke perhaps a month peradventure a yeare or it may bee some few yeares but alas the longer they stay the greater their griefe care feare and anxietie of minde Even in the infancy of age man is oft times left as Moses sometime was in the flouds of misery but as age increaseth sorrow increaseth because sinne increaseth when youth runnes most at randome and thinketh it selfe most safe it is then hemm'd in with greatest dangers then the rashfoole-hardy minde of man hurrieth him headlong to hell except the irresistible power of Gods preventing grace doth speedily stay him then his wits are even intoxicated with a frenzie of iniquity and wholly bent upon riotousnesse rashnesse luxury jollitie superfluity and excesse in carnall pleasures Hee then devoteth his time and addicteth himselfe to all manner of evill drinking dancing revelling swaggering swearing whoring gaming quarreling fighting and in the meane while never thinkes on Heaven nor feareth hell His head is frought with vanities his heart with fallacies where by his soule is brought into â— labyrinth of inextricable miseries So great is the temerity oâ— his unadvised minde that nâ— consideration of Gods judgements either past or present or to come can set a stop to his wickednesse His youthfullnesse damps at no bogges quagmires hils or mountaines but wingeth him over all impediments mounts him over all motives that might way-lay his sinnes He sticks not to offenâ— his maker to recrucifie his Redeemer to resist shall I say his Sanctifier no but the Spirit whom God hath given to be his sanctifier and if hee so carry himselfe toward these no mervaile that he derideth his Tutor scornes the Minister like the little children that mock'd Elisha oppresseth his poore brother as Pharaoh did the Israelites spareth not Infants no more then Herod did regardeth not parents no more then Hophni and Phinias did Let the mother direct him the father correct him his ancients instruct him alas all is in vaine youth makes men head-strong selfe-conceited and proud so that they swell with an overweening opinion of their owne worth they thinke themselves the onely wits of the time the onely men of the world more fit to teach others then to learne themselves more able to give then to take advice If they go on a while in their lewd courses without the restraining and renewing Grace of God they get a habit of evill are hardned through the custome of sinne none may resist them none compare with them no law of God or man can restraine them They take counsell together against the Lord and against his annointed saying Let us breake their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Whereupon oftentimes the ripenesse of sinnâ— being hastened by outragiousnesse of sinning God suddenly cuts them off in their intemperancy luxury quarrels and disorders which shewes theâ— vainenesse to be meere vanity Suppose they grow as great as Tamberlaine yet a Gunne Pike Arrow nay a Fly Flea or Gnat a dram nay a drop of poyson proves them to bee vaine men one of these silly creatures may send him presently to his Creator to receive his finall doome Yet alas what doe these most minde The bum-basted silken Gallants of our time that come forth like a May morning decked with all the glory of Art the Epicurean Cormerants the gusâ—ing and tipling tosse-pots the dainty painting Dames the dedicate mincing Ladies the sweet-singing Syrens the dancing Damsels the finicall youths the couzening Shop-keeper the crafty Crafts-man I say what doe all these but set their minds upon vanitie upon glory honour pride drosse and such like trash which weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary prove lighter then vanity Doe we not sometime see more spent upon one suite in Law then would keepe a poore Country towne with the inhabitants for a whole yeare See wee not more spent upon one suite of apparell for one proud carkasse then would build Free-schoole So that the cloathes on many a Gallant backe exceeds his Rent-day See wee not more spent upon Feast to satisfie the curiosity oâ— a few then would satisfie thâ— necessity of a hundred poore wretches almost famished to death See wee not more drunke in a Taverne at one sitting by a small company then would serve a troope of sturdy Souldiers in the field Many goe daily to the Tavern where they sticke not to spend their twelve pence who would grudge to give one penny nay one farthing to a hungry begger Againe is there not now more spent upon a Ladies feather then would pay a meane mans tythes Is there not more spent upon one paire of sleeves then would cloath sixe bodies and more spent at a Whitsun-ale then would keepe the poore of the Parish for a yeare Have wee not amongst our Gentry some of the female sexe who will spend more upon a Glasse and a pot of complexion then they will give a
this thy Syon crowne her with plenty prosperity and victory Let not her enemies rejoyce in her subversion nor triumph in her destruction Hide not thy face from her in the day of trouble stoppe not thine eares at our prayers Be unto us all a horne of salvation a rocke of safety a wall of brasse a strong tower and fortresse against the face and force of our enemies divert their designes frustrate their envie abate their fury asswage their pride restraine their power and in thy name let us tread them under that maliciously and mischievously rise up against us Suffer not the light of thy Gospel to be ecâ—lipsed nor the splendor of thy glory to be obscured let not thy name be dishonoured nor thy Sanctuary defiled nor thy truth slandered but now and ever defend and deliver as thou hast formerly done this Church and State from Plague Pestilence and above all that most terrible vengeance the devouring sword and that for his sake who hath led captivity captive and like a victorious Conqueror hath triumphed over all his enemies even Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and Holy Ghost be all honour and glory Amen A Prayer for them that are about the Sicke HEare us Almighty and most mercifull God and Saviour extend thine accustomed goodâ—esse to this thy servant which â—s grieved with sicknes visit him O Lord as thou didst Peters wives mother and the Captains â—ervant restore unto this sicke â—ody his former health if it be â—hy will or else give him grace â—o take this thy visitation patiently that after this painfull life ended he may dwell with thee in everlasting life O Lord behold we bend our knees yea the knees of our hearts with unfained prayers and lift up our eyes to the throne of thy mercie seat to hearken to these our petitions according to thy promises therefore O Lord grant our requests we are gathered here together in thy name in the behalfe of this thy servant deliver him we humbly beseech thee from these his languishing paines and miseries of sicknesse and as it hath pleased thee to lay thine hand upon him so O Lord restore him to his former health keepe him O Lord from fearefull and terrible assaults and despightfull â—â—mptations of the Divell sinne â—â—d hell deliver him O Lord 〈◊〉 thou deliveredst Noah from â—e raging waves of the floods 〈◊〉 from the destruction of Soâ—me Abraham from the feare â—â— the Caldeans the children of â—â—rael from the tyranny of Phaâ—â—oh David from the hands of â—â—liah the three men from the â—lence of the fiery furnace in â—â—bylon Daniell from the mouth 〈◊〉 the Lyons Ionas from the â—â—lly of the Whale and Peter â—m the prison of Herod Even â— O gratious Lord deliver the â—â—le of this person both now 〈◊〉 whensoever he shall depart â—â—ce from all perill and danâ—â—r open unto him at the houre of death the doore of Paradice the gates of heaven and the entry of everlasting life O Lord Jesus Christ forgive him all his sinnes and lead him with joy into the kingdome of thy heavenly Father even unto the bosome of Abraham and appoint him his everlasting rest that hee may rejoyce with thee and all the elect children of God to whom be all honour glory power and dominion Amen The sicke persons Prayer LOrd hearken to my prayer and give eare to my humble request Lord be mercifull unto mee and give mee grace patiently to beare the crosse and in the midst of this my sicknesse alwaies to say thy will O heavenly Father be done and not mine forgive and forget most gracious Father all 〈…〉 quities bloâ— them out of thy remembrance and cast them from thy sight O Lord as farre as the East is from the West the North from the South they are many and innumerable let them not rise up in judgement against me neither enter thou into thy narrow judgement with thy servant O Lord for no flesh is righteous before thee handle me not according to my deserts deale not with me after my wickednesse neither reward me after mine iniquities O Lord my God looke not into my enormious nor incestious life I am ashamed of my sinnes and aske pardon for my faults even with a repenting heart and sorrowfull mind a bleeding soule with hidden teares of a true and unfained repentance for my misdeeds yea my wounded breast surcharged with oppressing griefes doth sigh groane and lament under the burthen of my hainous crimes wherefore O Lord wash them away with thy bloud which thou hast shed for my sinnes and I shall be clean and pure without spot purge me O Lord with those precious drops that distilled from thy tormented heart and I shall be whiter then the snow burie mine offences in the sepulcher of thy death and cloath me with the garment of righteousnesse O Lord for thine infinite goodnesse and mercy sake receive me into thy tuition and favour pardon O Lord and remit my sins as thou forgavest David his murther and adultery with Barsheba Saul his persecutions of thy people Peter his deniall Mary Magdalen her lascivious life and the Publican in the Temple with striking his breast craved thy gracious pardon saying Lord have mercy upon me a sinner and although my sinnes and offences are farre greater and more grievous then these yet O Lord thy mercies exceede and are far more compassionate then our sinnes manifold I justifie not my selfe O my God by the offences of these but declare thy righteousnesse and mercifull clemencies in forgetting and forgiving our abhominable trespasses and transgressions of thy will which though we are froward yet thou art gentle though we are stubborne yet thou art meeke and though we run headlong to the pits brinke and to the gates of hell yet thou of thy goodnesse callest us backe and remittest all that wee have done amisse O Lord I have acknowledged my faults that they are best knowne unto thee wherefore O Lord I aske forgivenes for the same send me the comfort of thy holy Spirit that if thou give me my former health and strength of body I may amend my life according to thy sacred will and walke worthily in thy Lawes and Commandements if it be thy pleasure to take mee hence out of this transitory life O Lord grant that I may rest and live with thee forever world without end O Lord hearken unto these my petitions for Jesus Christ his sake I aske them and all other things which thou shalt think meet both for my soule and bodie in the same forme of prayer as he himself hath taught me saying Our Father c. A Prayer at the houre of death O Lord Jesus Christ which art the only health of all men living the everlasting life of them which dye in thy faith I wretched sinner give and submit my selfe wholly to thy most blessed will being sure that the thing cannot perish which is committed unto thy mercy I most humbly beseech thee O Lord to give me
our unfain thankfullnesse for thy innurable mercies multiplied up us from the first houre of birth yea before our birth a before time was Before foundations of the world wâ— laid thou out of thy free 〈◊〉 and meere mercy didst elect to eternall life when thou diâ— reject others Thou didst â—ate us after thine owne imaâ—â— engraving upon us the chaâ—â—cters of spirituall wisedom righteousnesse and true hoâ—â—nesse when it was in thy powâ—â— to have made us like unto beasts that perish yea to have â—qualled us to the basest of thy â—â—eatures And when through â—ur owne default wee lost that â—â—ignity thou didst so pittie us as â—â— send from thine owne boâ—ome thine onely begotten Son â—â— recover it for us and to reâ—tore it to us and that with no â—esse price then his owne heartâ—loud Besides it hath pleased â—hee continually to spread the wings of thy gracious protection over us to ward and guard â—s by thy providence to open â—â—y hand and to replenish us with good things to continue our life health strength food â—aiment peace and liberty to his very houre Thou hast even loaded us with thy benefits if we had hearts rightly to consider it thou renewest thy mercy towards us every morning and the night past hast given us a testimony of thy love For whereas for the sinnes committed the day before thou mightest even in the dead of sleepe have given us a sodaine call out of this world and so presently have brought us to that great account which wee must make before thee thou vouchsafest yet to spare us yea which is more to refresh us with comfortable rest to preserve us from all dangers that might have befallen our soules or bodies and to bring us in safety to the beginning of this day Heavenly Father grant that we may not be unmindfull of thy manifold mercies but that wee may often thinke of them and speake of them to thy glory and that the consideration thereof may stirre us up to devote all the powers of our soules and members of our bodies to thy service Forgive us our former unthankefulnesse for thy mercies and our severall abuses of them yea pardon all our sinnes past we most humbly beseech thee for thy owne mercies sake and for thy Sonnes merits Our sinnes are great and grievous for in sinne we were borne and ever since have we gone on in a course of sinne and rebellion against thee we doe daily breake thy holy precepts and that against the light of our owne knowledge albeit we know that thou art our Creatour who hast made us ouâ— Redeemer who hast bought us with the precious blood of thy onely begotten sonne and ouâ— Comforter who bestowesâ— upon us all things needfull foâ— our being and well-being foâ— this life and for a better life Yea even thee thee O Lord have we presumed to offend that hast beene thus abundantly mercifull unto us For this ouâ— unthankefulnesse and wicked nesse enter not into judgement with us wee most humbly beseech thee from the bottom of our hearts but have mercâ— upon us have mercy upon uâ— most mercifull Father and in mercy wash away all our sinnes with the bloud of Jesus Christ â—hat so they may never bee laid â—o our charge nor have power â—rise up in judgement against â—s Pierce our hearts with a â—eeling of our sinnes that wee â—ay mourne for them as wee â—ught to doe make us to loath â—nd abhorre them that we may â—ave and avoid them that wee may be watchfull against all occasions of sinne and circumâ—ect over our owne wayes â—owre thy Spirit and put thy â—ace into our hearts that thereby we may be inabled for thy â—â—vice and both in body and â—ule may glorifie thee heere â—â—at wee may be glorified of thee and with thee hereafter And as a speciall meanes to keepe us in subjection before thee work in us holy Father a continuall and effectuall remembrance of this earths vanity of our owne mortality oâ— that great and terrible judgement to come of the paines oâ— hell and joyes of heaven which follow after O let the remembrance of these things be a spuâ— to provoke us unto vertue and a bridle to hold us in from galloping after vice and wickednesse We know not how soon thou wilt set a period to ouâ— lives and call for our soules to appeare before thee whether this day or not before the evening O prepare us therefore for the houre of death that we may then neither feare nor faint but may with joy yeeld up our soules into thy mercifull hands and doe thou O Father of mercy receive them Let thy mercifull eye look upon us this day shield us from the temptations of the divell and grant us â—he custody of thy holy Angels to defend us in all our wayes â—nable us with diligence and â—onscience to discharge the duâ—â—es of our callings and crowne all our endeavours with thy blessing without thy blessing all mans labour is but vaine â—oe thou therefore blesse us in â—ur severall places O prosper â—hou our handy-work Provide â—or us all things which thou knowest to bee needfull for every one of us this day Give us a sanctified use of thy creatures agodly jealousie over ourselves a continual remembrance of thy omniscience omnipresence that we may labour to approve our very thoughts unto thee weane us from the love of thiâ— world and ravish our soule with the love of our home and thine everlasting Kingdome Defend the universall Church the Churches of this Land especially our gracious King Charles our illustrious Queen Mary together with the Princesse Elizabeth and her Princely issue crowne them with thy graces heere and with thy glory hereafter Bee with thâ— Magistracie and Ministerie of the Realme make thy Gospell to flourish amongst us by the labours of those whom thou hast appointed to this great service Comfort thine afflicted servants in what place or case soever they be give us a fellow feeling of their miseries and wisedome to prepare our selves against the evill day Heare us in these things and grant what else thou knowest needfull for us not for our worthinesse but for thy Sonnes sake our alone Saviour in whose name and words we conclude our imperfect prayers saying Our Father c. A houshold Prayer for private Families in the Evening O Glorious God in Jesus Christ our gracious Father we wretched creatures by nature but by thy grace thy servants and children doe heere make bold to appeare before thee in the humility of our soules to performe some part of that duty which we owe unto thee And first we offer unto thy divine Majestie the calves of our lips the sacrifice â—f praise and thanksgiving for â—ine infinite mercies which â—hou hast beene pleased to conâ—erre upon us out of thy boundnesse and endlesse goodnesse What thou hast done for us this â—hy is beyond all that we are â—ble to expresse or conceive â—hou hast preserved us from all â—erils and dangers