increase the same making thy glory the marke wherat to direct all my doings and thy word the rule to kéepe me within the compasse of thy will O Christ heare me O heare me sweet Sauiour which art the Well of life whereof whosoeuer tasteth hee shall neuer see Death Heare me O gracious Redéemer and let me féele inwardly the fruits of my faithfull prayer Amen A Prayer for Loue and Vnitie with all men To liue in loue all men among Giue grace O Christ to old and young LOrd Iesus thou Patterne of true and vnfeined loue yea of loue leading to life euerlasting without whom there can bee no loue or concord amōg men I beseech thee to heare the prayer of me thy poore seruant and that which I aske in spirit vouchsafe to giue me of thy free mercy And because loue is the fulfilling of the Law and the seale of saluation to the consciences of all Christians Furthermore for so much as thou hast commaunded vs to doe good to all men which cannot be vnlesse loue be the lampe to giue vs light I beséech thée to fill my heart with that loue yea to poure that loue abundantly into the hearts of all both old and yong that we may first and principally loue Almightie God the Father thée O Christ the Sonne and the holy Ghost with such a loue as is loath to turne the fauor of God into displeasure his gentlenesse into rigour his mercy into iudgement and his forbearance into vengeance Secondly to loue my Soueraigne Prince whom I am bound in conscience to obey to loue my superiors to loue mine equals to loue mine inferiors to loue mine enemies Finally to loue all and hate none that by this meanes I may dwel in God the Fountaine of loue who of méere loue for the saluation of the soule of man sent thee O my Sauiour into the world to suffer death vp on the crosse euen in the face of his enimies and persecutors Grant this O Christ to whom with the Father and the holie Ghost be all praise and glory for euermore Amen A Prayer for the hearing and true vnderstanding of the word of God To heare thy word and liue therein Vs to renew O Lord begin LIghten my heart O Lord GOD with the lampe of thy holy and blessed word which is the weapon of euery true Christian souldier and the sword of the spirit to cut off all the temptations of the Diuell the world and the flesh if it be vsed according to thy wil O Lord which art the giuer and author of the same And for so much O Lord as thy worde is the rule whereby wée are bound to direct all our doings and the square whereat to frame the whole course of our life I beséech thée to circumcise my heart that all carnall cogitations and thoughtes expelled and driuen out I may betake my selfe wholy vnto the reading hearing studying folowing of thy word which is the food of our soules the comfortable bread which killeth hunger and the pleasant drinke which quencheth thirst not the hunger thirst of the body against the which it hath pleased thée to prouide most healthfull remedies but the hunger and thirst of the soule which are no way else asswaged but by the vertue and heauenly working of thy word This word O Lord vouchsafe to make florish and fruitifie in vs that thereby wee may bée wonne to the worshipping of thée in true feare vnfained faith and perfect holinesse of life through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen A Praier to God for forgiuenesse of manifold and grieuous sinnes My heart vncleane Lord circumcise And make my soule thy sacrifice IN sinne O Lord was my conception in sinne my education in sinne the whole course of my life Nothing is cleane and vnspotted in mée nothing is sound nothing perfect nothing holy nothing sanctified I am full of sinne and iniquitie my thoughts desires are attainted with sinne my labours and handy works are defiled with wickednes my words and communications are tempered with the leauen of iniquity my hart is corrupt putrified there is nothing sound in me but all mine entrails are infected and poysoned with sin the high way to euerlasting shame death and condemnation O miserable wretch that I am to whom shall I run for succour To whom shall I make my sorrowes knowne Before whom shall I powre my plaintes Art not thou the Samaritane which with the oyle of mercie souplest my festered woundes Art not thou the good Sephearde which bringest home the straying Shéepe to the shéepefold Art not thou the good Captaine which fightest in defence of thy Souldiers O yes Lord thou art euen he and doubtlesse had not the oyle of thy mercy healed my filthy Botches had not thy hand fetcht me home to the flocke had not thy loue and grace ouer shadowed me in danger I had rotted in my filthinesse I had perished in my wandering and I had béen vtterly ouerthrowne in combate O Lord my God circumcise my heart and clense it from all euill thoughts deuises imaginations consentes to sinne Sanctifie my soule renew my spirit and garnish mée with the garment of regeneration that I may become a swéete smelling sacrifice before thée a sacrifice of acceptable incense a sacrifice of holines righteousnes so shall I prayse thée in the assemblie of the iust extoll thy glorious name among thy people Amen A Prayer for to be setled in the Truth Thy Truth send downe Lord from aboue And giue me grace the same to loue ACcording to thy louing kindnesse O Christ heare the praiers of thy seruant that request which Hope inboldeneth mee to make vouchsafe in mercy to grant And because the Deuill is the father of all falshood and lying and thou the fountaine of all truth and righteousnes as thou saiest of thy selfe I am the Way the Truth and the Life therefore I beseech thee O gracious God Sauiour to plant in me the Trueth without the which all entrance into heauenly ioy is stopt vp to banish out of my heart which by nature is a nest of wickednesse all maner of sinne resisting the Truth And for so much as Truth is a pearle of price and a Iewell of great value to the godly the ornament of the faythful and the treasure of the true Christian therefore I beséech thée O Christ giue me grace to thirst after truth to hunger after the taste of that heauenly foode that my desiring soule may be succoured my longing heart refreshed euen with the fulnes of the same And wheras by nature we are bōdslaues of sinne and by that meanes vtter enemies of truth we beseech thee notwithstanding to make vs partakers of mercy and not of iudgement remembring that thy death and bloodshed paid the price of redemption for all mankinde Thou God of truth heare my prayer and let the suite of me thy poore Seruant come before thy presence and that which I haue asked with
infinite goodnes thou soueraigne Law-giuer to arme our harts with the ful furniture of obedience that we may first and principally feare thée which art our Creatour and in thée thy Sonne our Redéemer and in both the holy Ghost our Comforter This if we do as it is not vnlike we shal if thy grace gouerne vs our wils wits shal be brought into such subiection that whatsoeuer duties earthly Magistrates bind vs vnto by Law commandement so the same be not to thy dishonour there shall want no readinesse in vs to fulfill and accomplish Vouchsafe therefore O heauenly Father to keepe vs in thy feare to limit vs within the bounds of true obedience both to thée O our GOD and also to our superiours and betters that whatsoeuer is required of vs in the way of godly submisson and reuerence we murmur not thereat but doe our endeauours therin with all zeale and earnestnesse Amen A Prayer for true and hearty repentance Repentance for our foule misdeeds Graunt vs O God whose grace exceeds WE wretched outlaws O Lord God cast our selus along before thy mercie seate beséeching thée to inspire our minds with perfect wisedome and to arme vs with the true and liuely knowledge of thy Law that both in body also in soule we may walke the way of thy Commandementes and Testimonies So gouerne vs by thy Grace O God and so conduct vs by thy louing kindnesse that being throughly informed and reformed to thy Law we may be stricken inwardly with a godly feare and Christian trembling of transgressing thy preceptes which thou hast appoynted vnto vs in this darke palpable time of securitie and wickednes when all people and nations for the most part stumble at the blockes of their owne sinnes to be a lanterne to lighten our féete and the day starre to direct all our doings And though wée can not of our selues such is the infirmitie of our nature and weaknes of our flesh but fall into the snares of sinne yet wée humbly beséech thée for thy beloued Sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Sauiour to touch our guiltie consciences with the finger of thy grace that through a sorrowfull féeling of them we may by fayth take sure and fast hold of the staffe of thy promises who made a vow to haue mercy on the ssnner repenting him of his lewd life and forsaking his iniquity Grant this O God for the comfort of thy chosen and for thy Sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Mediatour and Aduocate Amen A prayer to the Lord to turn his wrathfull displeasure away from vs. Thy wrath O Lord remember not Though such desert my sinnes allot IVdge me not O Lord in the heate of thine indignation O consume me not in the furie of thy rage I confesse that mine offences cry out for vengeance euen as a dry sandy soyle gapeth for raine Howbeit O most mercifull Father remember thy mercy and let not sentence passe in iudgement to my condemnation my sinnes haue laid out my lot euen thy vengeance O Lord I cannot say the contrary but thou hast Mercy in store which pleadeth against Iustice so that thy Wrath I hope shall not ouerthrow me though my wickednesses like waues ouerwhelme my soule O Lord heare my prayer and for the honour of thy name turne from me the punishments which thou hast denounced against mee in iudgement I am a worme and no man yea the off-scowring of men a wretch and forsaken an outcast and an alien frō the Common wealth of Israel my sinnes haue made a separation of thy fauour from me but the death of thy Sonne hath put out the handwriting and broken downe the partition wall betwixt thée and mee And therefore I come with boldnesse and confidence to thee hoping to taste the swéetnes of thy Mercy though I haue deserued the sharpnes of thy Iustice. As thou wilt O Lord so be it Amen A Prayer for a cleare and quiet Conscience A Conscience cleare from all vnrest Graunt vs O God whose name be blest LEt the light of thy coūtenance shine vpon vs most mercifull Father let the comfort of thy spirit drop into our hearts let thy fauour louing kindnesse be vnto vs a pauilion in the warfare of this life Bee thou vnto vs a gracious God and a Father inclined to compassion that whereas the horror of our sinnes and their haynousnesse together with the manifoldnesse of our offences kindleth in vs a kind of feare vnto death disquieting our consciences and raising vp within vs accusers to giue in euidence against vs for the violating breaking of thy commaundements it would please thee like a Father tenderly to deale with vs as with thy children and not like a seuere Iudge to handle vs as guilty persons giuing vs ouer and leauing vs to the spoyle of our mortall enemies Our conscience indeed layeth dayly to our charge that we haue playd the back-sliders that we haue not kept vs within the compasse of thy holy precepts that wee haue withstood thy heauenly will and like stubborne rebels denied thée the honour due vnto thy Name neuerthelesse O Lord God cast vs not off into confusion neither leaue vs to continuall torment and vexation of conscience for our sinnes but looke vpon vs with the eyes of mercy that the terrour of conscience which we feele for sinne may bee turned into rest and quietnesse least if it happen otherwise wee be driuen with Iudas into desperation From the which we beseech thee to deliuer vs for the honour of thy name O GOD Almighty Amen A Prayer to be Zealous in the hearing of the word of God To heare thy Word and loue the same Vouchsafe O Lord our hearts to frame LOuing Father gracious God forsomuch as thy word is the rule of life and the high way to happines we beséech thee to kindle in vs an earnest desire to heare the same and that not only with the outward eares of the body but with the inward eares of the heart which is the hearing in deed whereby profit and comfort is gathered Thy Word is the Sword to cut downe sinne thy Word is the weapon which thy Ministers vse to conquer the kingdome of Satan It is the felicitie of the faithfull in this life it is the stumbling blocke of offence to the wicked yea to the vncircumcised Philistine it is the sauour of death vnto death but to the circumcised Israelite it is the sauour of life vnto life Vouchsafe therefore O bountifull God to kindle in mee the fire of zeale vnto thy word that I may so estéeme and count thereof as of the chiefest treasure of a Christian in this vale of misery hauing mine eares alwayes open to heare it and my hart ready to receiue it my tongue plyant to speake of it and my mind earnest to meditate in it so shall I reape such profit thereby as thou hast prepared for them that come reuerently therunto This and all things néedfull for this life graunt O
of God is not meat nor drink but righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 But rather séeke ye after the kingdome of God all these things which are but accessaries and common as wel to the wicked as the godlie shal be ministred vnto you Luke 12.31 Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome which is the chefest thing that can be giuen Luke 12.32 In my Fathers house are manie dwelling places I goe to prepare a place for you So that there is not onely a place for Christ but for all that are his John 14.2 3. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen IN the roll of the booke it is written of me I desired to doe thy good will O my God yea thy law is within my hart Psal 40.7.8 That seruant that knew his Maisters will prepa red not himselfe neither did according to his will shal be beaten with many stripes Luk. 12 47. For this is the will of God euen your sanctification and that ye should abstaine from fornication And dedicate your selues wholy to God that euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour His body that is prophaned by such filthinesse 1. Thes 4.3 4. And fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be ye chāged by the renewing of your mind that ye may prooue what is the good will of GOD and acceptable and perfect Whatsoeuer is not agreeable to Gods will is euill displeasant vnperfect Rom. 12.2 Wherefore be ye not vnwise but vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Ephes. 5.17 4. Giue vs this day our daily bread BEhold the eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him he worketh that in mercy which man by no meanes can compasse and vpon them that trust in his mercie to deliuer their soule from death and to preserue them in famine Psal. 33 18.19 The eyes of all waight vpon thee and thou giuest them their meate in due season thou openest thine hand and fillest all things liuing with thy good pleasure Gods prouidence stretcheth both to man and beast Psal. 145.15 Man shall not liue by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of GOD. The order that God hath ordeined to maintaine his creatures by is here ment Deut. 8.3 Matth 4.4 The cheefe thing of life is water bread clothing lodging to couer thy shame Eccles. 29.23 Two things haue I required of thee denie mee them not before I die Remoue far from me vanitie lies giue me not pouerty nor riches feede me with foode conuenient for mee least I bee full deny thee and say Who is the Lord For Riches make men forget their Maker Or least I be poore and steale take the name of my God in vaine Prou. 30.7.8.9 When we haue foode and raiment let vs therwith be content 1. Tim. 6.8 5. And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. FOrgiue thy neighbour the hurt that hée hath don to thee for man ought not to seeke vengeance so shall thy sinnes be forgiuē thée also when thou prayest Should a man beare hatred against a man and desire forgiuenesse of the Lord He will shewe no mercy to a man which is like himselfe and will hée aske forgiuenesse of his owne sinnes Eccles. 28.2.3.4 Iudge not and ye shall not be iudged condemne not and ye shall not be condemned forgiue and ye shall be forgiuen Giue and it shall be giuen vnto you a good measure pressed downe shaked togeather and running ouer shal men giue into your bosome For with what measure you meate with the same shall men meate vnto you againe Luke 6.37.38 Loue your enemies doe well to them which hate you Luke 6.27 There shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy and mercie reioyceth against iudgement and feareth it not Iam. 2.13 6. And lead vs not into temptation BE sober and watch for your aduersarie the Diuell as a roring Lion walketh about séeking whom he may deuour 1. Pet. 5.8 In whom the God of this world euen Satan hath blinded the mindes that is of infidels that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God in respect of his office should not shine vnto them 2. Cor. 4.4 Whensoeuer a man heareth the word of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not the euill one commeth euen the Diuell and taketh away that which was sowen in his hart Mat. 13 19. The Prince that ruleth in the aire euen the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2.2 Loue not the world as it is aduersarie to God neither the thinges that are in the world If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him c. 1. Iohn 3.15.16.17 We know that we are of God the whole world lieth in wickednesse al men as of them selues lie as it were busied in euill 1. Iohn 15.19 Know ye not that the amitie of the world is the enmitie of god Whosoeuer therefore will be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enimie of God Iam. 4.4 For all that is borne of God ouercōmeth the world and this is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our fayth Who is it that ouercommeth the worlde but hee which beleeueth that Iesus is the sonne of GOD 1. Iohn 5.4.5 That the righteousnesse of the law that which the law requireth might be fulfilled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit For they that are after the flesh sauour the thinges of the flesh their will vnderstanding reason wit all is fleshlie The wisdome of the flesh is death it is enmitie against God They that are in the flesh can not please God Rom. 8·4 7. But deliuer vs from euill Amen HElpe vs O GOD of our saluation seeing we haue none other Sauiour for the glory of thy name and deliuer vs. Psal. 69.8 In the day of my trouble I will call vpon thée for thou hearest me Psal. 86.7 There shall none euill come vnto thée He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thée to keepe thee in all thy wayes they shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foote against a stone Because he hath loued me Gods protection promised therefore will I deliuer him I will exalt him because he hath known my name He shall call vpon me and I will heare him I will be with him in trouble I will deliuer him and glorifie him c. Psal. 91.9.10.11.12 c. O Lord giue vs grace to learne this and liue thereafter Amen The beliefe of a Christian commonly called the Apostles Creede diuided into twelue Articles and expounded 1. I beleeue in God the Father Almighty maker of heauen and earth HEare O Israel the LORD our God is Lord onely Deut. 6.4 Blessed be GOD euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ
the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort 2. Cor. 1.3 Thou Lord in the begining hast stablished th' earth and the heauens are the works of thine hands Psal. 102.25 Heb. 1.10 Haue we not all one Father Hath not one GOD made vs Malach. 2.10 By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the hoast of them by the breath of his mouth Psal 33.6 2. And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord. THere is but one GOD which is the Father of whom are all things and we in him And one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him 1. Cor. 8 6. If we walke in the light as he is in the light we haue fellowship one with another Christ with vs and we with our selues the blood of Iesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth vs from all our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1.7 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare Sonne in whom wée haue redemption through his blood that is the forgiuenesse of sinnes Colos. 1.13.14 This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am wel pleased Math. 3.17 3. Which was conceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary BVt when the fulnesse of time was come God sent foorth his Sonne made of a woman made vnder the Law or subiect to the law that he might redéeme them which were vnder the Law that wee might receiue the adoption of the sonnes Galat. 4.4.5 And the Word was made flesh Christ was formed and made man by the operation of the holy Ghost without the working of man and dwelt among vs and we saw the glory thereof as the glorie of the onely begotten sonne of the Father full of grace and truth Ioh. 1.14 The holy Ghost shall come vpon thée This was spoken to Mary and the power of the most high shal ouershadow thée it shall be a secret operation of the holy Ghost therefore also that holy thing which shall be borne of thée shall be called the Sonne of God Hee must be without sinne which must take away sinne Luke 1.35 Behold a Virgin shal be with child and shal beare a Sonne and they shall call his name Emanuel which is by interpretation God with vs. Matth. 1.23 Esaie 7.14 When Marie was betrothed to Ioseph before they came togeather before he tooke her home to him she was found with Child by the holy Ghost Math. 1.18 4. Suffred vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead buried and descended into Hell FOr Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps Who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the trée that we being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse by whose stripes we are healed 1. Pet. 2.21.24 They scourged Iesus they stripped him they put vpon him a Scarlet robe to deride and mocke him because he called himselfe a King they gaue him Vineger to drinke mingled with Gall to open his veines so to hasten his death this was giuen him hanging vpon the crosse they crucified him betwéen two théeues they cast lots for the parting of his garments they set a scornefull writing ouer his head they reuiled him ceassed not till he gaue vp the Ghost Matth. 27.26 28 29 30 34 35 37 50. So Ioseph tooke the body and wrapped it in a cleane Linnen cloth and put it in his new Tombe Christs burying doth so much the more verifie his death and resurrection which he had heawen in a rocke and rolled a great stone to the doore of the sepulchre and departed Matth. 27.59 60. I know that ye seeke Iesus which was crucified he is not heere for he is risen as he sayd Come see the place where the Lord was layd c. Matth. 28.5.6 God made him to be sinn for vs which knew no sinne a sacrifice for sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in him By inputation when wee shall bee clad with Christes righteousnesse 2. Cor. 5.21 Hee destroyed through death him that had the power of death that is the Diuell and that he might deliuer all them which for feare of death and Gods anger were all their life time subiect to bondage Heb. 2.14.15 Christ hath abolished death brought life and immortalitie to light through the Gospell 2. Tim. 1.10 Death is swallowed vp in victory O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory 1 Cor. 15.55 5. And the third day he rose againe from the dead IEsus Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification to accomplish and make perfect our iustification Rom. 4.25 Goe quickly and tell his Disciples that he is risen from the dead and behold he goeth before you into Galilie there ye shall see him loe I haue told you The Angell assureth the women that come to see Christes Sepulchre of his resurrection Math. 28.7 Mark 16.6.7 Luke 24.6 Joh 1 20.1 Act 1.21.22 But now Christ is risen from the dead was made the first fruites of them that sleept by his resurrection being the first we are all assured of our resurrection 1 Cor. 15.20 Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will rise it vp againe This he meant of his body which should die and did rise againe the third day after his death Iohn 2.19.21 First of all I deliuered vnto you that which I receiued or learned by Gods worde how that Christ died for our sinnes according to the scriptures and that he was buried rose againe the third day and was seene of Cephas then of the twelue though Iudas wanted yet they were so called still after that of more then fiue hundred brethren at once c. 1. Cor. 15.3.4.5.6 6. He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almightie ANd it came to passe that as he blessed them he departed from them and was caried vp into heauen Luke 24.51 So after the Lord had spoken vnto them he was receiued into Heauen and sate at the right hand of God Mark 16.19 And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken vp whereby they knew certainely whither he went for a cloude tooke him vp out of their sight Act. 1.9 It is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request for vs. Rom. 8.34 7. From thence he shall come againe to iudge the quike and the dead THis Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come as ye haue séene him go into heauen euen the true Redeemer to gather vs vnto him Acts. 1.11 And when the Sonne of man commeth in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall hee fit vpon the throne of his glorie Math. 25.31 And then shall they see the Sonne of man comming in the cloudes with great power and glorie Mark 13.26 And when these thinges begin