our frailty and assist vs with his holy Spirit against such temptations Also when wee begin and after wee haue begun our prayers we must bring with vs and keepe with vs this consideration and resolution not to seeke so much temporall as spirituall blessings at Gods hands And if our necessities call vpon vs to craue temporal blessings yet let our desires be so farre limited alwayes to submit our wills to Gods heauenly will let vs begin to begge of God things spirituall before temporal blessings though both be necessary and neither to be neglected To all this must bee added Charity in pardoning offences that are committed against vs according to the president precept which our Sauiour himself hath set downe in that forme of prayer vvhich ought to be the rule of all our prayers and so reconciling our selues first by charity to our aduersaries we may come with more cleere Consciences and more acceptable sacrifice in our supplications vnto God For if wee aske forgiuenesse of our sins and do not forgiue others wee can find but little assurance to obtaine what we aske So then we see it is not fit nor safe to runne rashly vnto prayer without preparation premeditation faith repentance reconciliation and resistance of temptations CAP. VI. An entrance to Prayer HAuing prepared our mindes and our heartes for Prayer we may then most safely make our entrance into it which consisteth chiefely of these parts Inuocation Confession Laâ—ding or Thankesgiuing Supplication Inuocation is a calling or appellation on the name of God most high Which declareth denounceth the attributes belonging to the nature of God and these doe concerne his Iustice Mercie Power his Prouidence His Iustice as a most iust God who by thy Iustice doest distribute dispose vnto all creatures all that belongs and is most fitte for them who therby dost gouerne and guide 〈…〉 and men with all that is in heauen and earth His Mercy as thus Most mercifull and gracious God whose mercy is aboue all thy other wonderfull workes in pardoning and preseruing from destruction and in sending thy Son to saue sinners The inuocation of Gods Power may bee made after this manner O God of vnspeakeable power and might which madest all things of nothing by thine owne onely word wisedome and art able at all 〈◊〉 â—â—ing all this againe vnto nothing The inuocation of Gods prouidence may be in this wise O Lord God of wonderful wisedom he whose prouidence all things are preserued and from whose wisedome we haue all our knowledge and wisedom These and the like inuocations according to the appellation and declaration of Gods attributes uttered in this or the like sort may serue as some instruction to the ignorant so from Introduction and entrance into their prayer vntill by practice they bee made more perfect as the first part thereof yet to be altered amended augmented as euery mans capacity and ability shall affoord him meanes Next to Inuocation in prayer Confession hath her proper place For if we haue offended God as there is no man but dayly and hourely doth it then it is most needfull 〈◊〉 first we do confesse our selues before we ask any benifits This Confession is of two kindes the one generall the other particular That generall as when one doth declare and deplore his greeuous sinnes that hee is polluted with the same thoroughout all his parts and faculties the latter which is a mention and recitall of seuerall sinnes such as euery man may finde himselfe to bee most burdened with as those which were last committed most fresh in memory namely that this day of late I haue done these euils in thy sight I haue seduced such personnes I haue slandered my neighbour I haue in this denyed or darkened the truth I haue harbored these euil thoughts of such persons without iust cause giuen I haue followed this vaine desire affected this fond inuention presented to me by others or entertayned by my selfe I haue not withstood such an euill worke when I could haue done it I haue bene silent in such a cause when I might haue made the truth manifest And so of our seuerall sinnes either committed whereof wee may take knowledge or of necessary duties omitted which in Christian dutie wee ought to haue done when wee make faithfull confession vnto God ioyned with some repentance and the same accompanied with acknowledgement Thanksgiuing for mercies receiued are the best preparatiues in our prayers After this and the like both generall and particular confessions of our sins in prayer vnto God a lauding and a thankesgiuing for the blessings imparted vnto vs wherof we ought to be sensible and not to be silent comes next in place For it were vnseemly inconuenient and improuident to ask any new good turnes of any man before we return any shew of thankefulnesse for what good we haue receiued so would it bee as vnbeseeming and altogether as vnprofitable for mortall man to pray vnto the immortal God for any encrease of mercies before hee acknowledge those which haue beene formerly powred on him The forme of this praise and thankesgiuing may bee made after this manner We praise and magnifie thy Diuine Maiesty most glorious God for thy fauour and goodnesse extended alwayes on vs sinfull Creatures since our Creation for giuing vs vnderstanding of thee and of thy wil for preseruing maintayning and protecting vs more particularly for c. Lastly supplication or petition is to be made especially for the pardoning of our sinnes for freeing and keeping vs from falling into the same or the like againe for the obtayning of spirituall graces and of temporall necessities for the pardoning of sinnes it may bee in such like sort Thou that art the God of mercy shew mercie and compassion on me a most miserable sinner Lord let thy mercie shine aboue all thy other works Cast not thy louing countenance from me bewayling my many heynous transgressions Lord God thou seest our wantes and our weakenesse I beseech thee strengthen me in body and in health Blesse me in estate that I may be the better able to serue thee and imploy what thou shalt affoord according to thy sacred will pleasure The supplication for spirituall graces may be after this wise Though wee haue deserued no goodnes hauing done so much euill yet according to thy wonted goodnes grant vs such graces and heauenly gifts as may make vs blessed in thy sight and beloued of thy Saints Giue me a stedfast faith an humble contrite heart penitence for all my sinnes past watchfulnesse ouer my waies for time to come zeale of thine honour and glory a loue of thy truth and of such as loue the same an vnderstanding heart to discerne it constancie in following and keeping thy commandements teach me to examine mine owne heart to search it strictly to see if there yet remaine any hypocirsie or hollownesse in it Take from mee the temptations of lust vaine-glory malice sensuality
into the world to suffer for vs sinners to redeeme vs from life to death to lay downe his owne life to saue vs from damnation This thy mercie as it is vnspeakeable and vnualewable O Lord wee acknowledge it to bee so great that we cannot giue thee condigne prayses but doe pray thee to accept our weake sacrifices in the Eucharisticall reioycing rendering of laud vnto thee for the suffering of thy Sonne to offer himselfe vnto death euen for them that were become enemies to our gracious God breakers of thy Couenants defilers of thy Sabaths haters of truth truce breakers loaden with sin and voyde of grace Now most mercifull Lord God that thou hast vouchsafed vs this fauour to approach vnto thy blessed Table and to renew the seale of the Couenant graunt likewise for a farther addition of grace for the increase of thy glorie that we may approach neerer and neerer vnto thee by newnesse of life watchfulnesse ouer our owne wayes firmenesse in faith constancie in keeping thy Commandements obedience to thy holy word and will and this thorow the helpe of thee our Lord which only art able to saue those that serue thee Amen A prayer in the time of vnseasonable weather THe heauens the earth and all the Creatures therein contained thou O Lord hast ordained thou in thy eternall counsell and prouidence hast appoynted seasons of the yeere fit to produce and propagate things needfull for the sustenance and vse of man and hast vsually sent weather fit for those seasons but our sinnes which onely make a seperation betwixt thee and vs haue caused some alterations of these seasons hath sent many times vnseasonable weather wherby the fruits of the earth haue not come to their full ripenes the Cattle haue not theyr nourishment and man by this meanes wants things necessâ—ry All this and other thy chastisements we confesse do come from the demerits of our owne sinfull liues which draw on deseruedly thy iust indignation Yet O Lord since only thy mercie can free vs from miseries first free vs from our sinnes the causes of them and then from the punishment they haue procured Make our harts cleane so make the weather seasonable vs moderate in the vse of thy creatures them holsome to vs and with the amendment of the weather amend our liues and forgiue our sins So chaunge vs that thy chastisement may be taken away and by this let vs learne to consider thy power to confesse thy mercie and to set foorth thy praise throughout all ages Amen A Prayer to be vsed vvhen dearth and scarsity comes O Most gracious Lord God thou which diddest permit Iosephs Brethren to sell to send him into Egypt that hee being carried from his father into a strange Country might there in time of most want and necessitie after the ouer-passing of his owne afflictions be able to make prouision not onely for his Fathers Family but also for his countrey from which hee was carried So wee good Lord being solde by our owne selues vnto sinne Sathan thereby carried into the Egypt of Ignorance and Iniquitie doe beseech thee by thine owne mercies to grant vs true repentance that the scarsity thou hast sent may bee remooued Encrease our Faith zeale sorrow for our sins with amendment of life and therewith encrease our store the fruits of the earth and prouision of the Land that hauing sufficiencie wee may therewith haue content and thankefulnesse Comfort vs in thy mercies and consolations in the continuance of thy loue Let vs not O Lord with the prodigall Sonne mispend our times estates and thy blessings but with the penitent Publican lift vp our hearts and hands vnto Heauen say still from the heart God be mercifull vnto vs miserable sinners So good Lord take away this dearth and our sinnes which will bring vs vnto death A Prayer in time of plague and pestilence THe Contagion and corruption of our bodies comming O Lord from the sinnes of our soules brings all the diseases of our bodies and dangers of our liues So are we filled with infection which threatneth death vnto vs when as we see others dayly die before our eyes Since then good Lord thou giuest vs a sight and continual representation of our mortality giue vs also a sense and a true feeling with a thorow repentance of all our sinnes past the causers of all our woe distresse and perill and as our first parent by his fall and our naturall parents by theyr transgressions haue drawn vppon themselues and vs death and destruction and we our selues by our actuall iniquities haue added more curses to our particular persons and to the publike state wherein wee liue so yet good Lord remember thy Couenant of Grace remember the Sonne of thy loue and his sufferings whom thou hast sent into the world for the redemption of mankinde let these thy former and long continued mercies mooue thee to continue thy compassion in remoouing thy iudgements from vs in renewing the graces of thy holy Spirit in teaching vs to repent and renounce our former euill liues Then let thy Angel and Messenger of good tydings our Mediator sprinkle the postes and doores of our hearts with the blood of that Paschall Lambe who hath shedde his blood for the sinnes of the world in such sort that receiuing grace from thy all-giuing grace our sins and punishments for the same may cease and wee may with purified hearts after all our pollutions learn to publish thy praise and hauing receyued deliuerance for the contagion of soule and of bodie may be made instruments of thy glory both in this world and in the world to come A Prayer for increase and continuance of spirituall giftes and graces O Almighty God though wee are weake and not strong of our selues specially in the spirituall graces which might make vs beutifull corner-stones in thy Celestiall building yet thou good Lord who hast created Heauen and Earth and doest conserue all heerein contayned art able by thy wonderfull Workemanship not onely to begin and to beget but to increase and to preserue in our hearts the seedes of humility penitence patience piety zeale and other good sauing Graces We are thy creatures and thou our Creator therefore though we haue long dwelt in darkenesse yet now send vs the light of thy countenance to enlighten our vnderstanding the seale and testimony of thy holy Spirit to assure our hearts and consciences of thy loue and of our saluation To this end giue vs fortitude and corage to maintaine thy cause and to defend the trueth a subduing power to master our owne lustes and to subdue our sinnes wisedome from aboue to withstand the assaults of Sathan so of Captiues made Conquerors and of slaues vnto sinne and sathan made subduers of them both We may by the same thy mercy and power magnifie thy Maiesty hallow thy name not only in this world but in the world to come thorow all Ages euen euerlastingly So be it and so
distrust diffidence of thy power or mercy that so through thy onely and all-able assistance I may bee made of a sinfull soule though not a perfect yet an acceptable worshipper of thee my Soueraigne Lord and onely Sauiour Short Admonitions concerning the premises I Shall desire the charitable viewer of these imperfect rules concerning prayer to conceiue that they are not set downe either to informe the learned or any that are well exercised in prayer But to giue some light vnto such as are young simple ignorant or not much vsed to prayer Neither should any of them bee tied onely to these words or formes heere set downe but it is in their choise to take the sence of the same so farre as they shall finde it to further their good and godly indeauours in prayer And if GOD shall indue them with better abilities they may vse them ought to be thankfull for that heauenly talent they haue and not to hide or to abuse it A prayer for deuotion in prayer SInce all good gifts comes from thee our gracious God the author of all goodnes grant vs thy speciall sauing grace of sanctified feruent prayer in frequent and zealous supplications Wee haue it not of our selues we seeke it of thee nether can wee seeke it without thou first send the motions thereof into our hearts and mindes prepare vs therefore for this holy duty grant vs the practice and power of it before we come to it touch our hearts with the remembrance of our sinnes and repentance for the same Call to our memorie and meditations how slowe wee haue beene to present our selues to thy presence by prayer how cold wee are in deuotion how distracted in our thoughts and how full of fantasies and of fond imaginations which draw our zeale and deuotion from thee even in the time of praier when our thoughts should bee pure and our hearts onely setled vpon thy seruice so that in stead of bringing a blessing we bring iust curses to our selues by these our more formall then faithfull praiers O Lord therefore infuse grace into our hearts kindle zeale fortifie our faith let not our secure and sensuall seruice of thee increase more of our abounding sinnes nor adde more to thy deserued anger but be thou in the middest of vs by thy assisting holy Spirit When wee lift vp our hands lift thou vppe our hearts vnto thee when we speake vnto thee speake thou peace vnto our Consciences giue vs words to vtter faith to beleeue feruencie in our prayers an earnest desire to abandon all euil affections and loose carriage of our cogitations and so closely to settle our soules vnto thy seruice When we come to make our supplications before thy Maiesty let this instant time of prayer whilest we now speake bee the beginning of our better seruice and so continuing in the same with humility constancy and fauour thou maiest haue the honour and wee the benefit To thee bee giuen all honour and glory now and all times Amen Morning prayer in a familie O Lord God light of lights thou that giuest light vnto our soules and to our bodies thou that hast brought vs from the darknesse of this night to see the comfortable light of this day bring vs from the darknesse of ignorance and of sinne and from the corrupting of our soules wherein wee haue liued both day and night As thou hast raised vs from our rests to follow our callings so raise vs from security sloath dulnesse distraction lust couetousnes selfe-conceites pride and all other corrupt affections which carry vs headlong after the vaine imaginations of our owne harts and euill affections Good Lord when we go abroad about our worldly affaires let not our mindes bee led altogether from heauenly meditations but let thy blessed Spirit be our motioner to put vs in minde of the shortnesse and vncertainty of our liues let vs haue before our thoughts often the sinnes wee haue committed the good wee might haue done and haue omitted the time wee haue mispent either in doing no good at all or in doing that is euill And this good Lord teach vs to tell our selues and our owne soules not with wordes onely comming from the lippes but with inward sighs and groanes from the heart and when through the assistance of thy holy Spirit thou hast made vs to search our sins and to smite our hearts then blesse thou the works of our hands in all our good endeauours and as by the same our store doth encrease our thankfulnes to thee may encrease As thy blessings are bestowed so our prayers praises may bee rendred and redoubled At our going out in our rest trauaile and returne bee thou with vs by the blessing and assistance of thy holy Spirit let this day good Lord bee a beginning and a new birth day of faith repentance for our sinnes and of reconciliation to thy Maiesty that so thou mayest receiue vs to mercy Let al the rest of our dayes be an amendment of our sinfull liues past Blesse good Lord thy Church our King his Realmes with faith truth peace and prosperitie guide the rest of the States of this land in their seuerall conditions callings that both they and we may maintaine thy truth set forth thy glory keepe a good conscience to our selues shew charity one vnto another So wee may liue in thy feare dye in thy fauour and after this mortall life is ended we may enioy an immortall life with thee in heauen there to magnifie praise and glorifie thy most glorious Name world without end Amen A Morning Prayer to be vsed in priuate THis day our good God appearing and thy mercies appearing by our deliuerance from dangers this night past and in the ordaining of dayes and of all thy other workes what praises shall we render for thy workes of Creation and of preseruation If we should not praise thee yet one day telleth another and one night certifieth another but I most sinnefull soule haue neyther expressed nor felte what belongs to the visible workes of thy inuisible Maiesty neither can I comprehend it in thy workes and made known by thy reuealed word for thy Maiesty is so great thy Wisedom so vnserchable and thy Word so deepe that I am not able to conceiue them It sufficeth great God vnto thee that art al-sufficient in thy selfe to expresse thy self vnto vs sinners in such sort as we are able to apprehend thee And I one of the least and vnworthiest seruants doe confesse my selfe to be a most greeuous sinner in thought word and deede I haue followed mine owne wicked fantasies I haue broken thy commandements and betrayed mine owne soule yet my hope is in thy mercie and therefore in the beginning of this day I beginne my prayers vnto thee teach me therefore to pray that I may this day and the rest of my life call vpon thee and praise thee through the assistance of thy power which graunt vs good Lord. A Prayer
AN Inuitation vnto Prayer and the practise of Piety directing the way to true Happinesse Wherein is principally to be considered these foure things 1. What Prayer vnto God is 2. The necessity of it 3. The profit we receiue by this holy exercise 4. The manner and vse of it London printed by Isaac Iaggard for Robert Bird and are to bee sold at his shop in Cheapside at the signe of the Bible 1624. To my Honourable and Worthy Friends in Parliament ALL good counsell comes from God Humane consultations are as fraile as themselues are feeble Nature hath her courses and corruptions in all the accidents of this world Mans aduice relyng onely on it selfe is like his actions sometimes prosperous often perillous many times pernitious The most sure and sase helpe that vvee haue comes from the gouernour of Heauen Earth The defence of his truth is our best buckler and his seruice our chiefest safety Prayers and Petitions vnto God are the Harbingers which prepares a place for our heauenly habitation and makes firme our earthly possessions This small and slender Treatise which J haue now puhlished concerning Prayer was first written ahout 27. yeares since then penned for mine owne practise since which time it hath beene concealed and in a manner cast away amongst many my other loose Papers vntill of late finding it vnlooked for J shewed it to some of my priuate Friends whose desires vvere it should be made publicke To that J yeelded not for any worth J could conceiue to bee in the worke comming from one so weake but to satisfy those who J knew would beare with my faults Of all our actions the world is as it were the Theater our selues the Actors wherein some play their partes with skill others in simplicity most with errors the greater part are censurers more ready to finde fault with others then to search into themselues whatsoeuer they are or J am J see my selfe subiect to censure This subiect is Prayer the pathway to happinesse the handling and carriage of rich Roabes by poore men makes not the garments meane but it may be more meanely valewed it is that in attyre as in Physicke the Materials of the one and ingredients of Medicines in the other beeing of themselues good yet not well by the workers managed composed and mixed makes their shew of lesse esteeme and indeede their substance of lesse vse Such may be the state of this Treatise touching prayers the subiect in it selfe holy heauenly but by mee not well handled may so fall out to be lesse valewed then the dignity of it wel set forth would shew it selfe to be Howsoeuer I offer this small Widowes Myte into that Treasurie where true Christians by Prayer and Piety makes their oblations and tribute in the Sanctuary of GOD vnto whose gracious and good guidance I commend all your good consultations with all others that by faithfull prayer and feruent deuotion desire to serue his Diuine Maiestie Yours in him who can make vs all his and to enioy all happines I. P. Knight AN INVITATION to Prayer and the practise of Piety directing the way to true Happinesse With a preparation to the practise thereof CHAP. I. What Prayer vnto God is BEfore wee treate of this most precious and inestimable gift and grace of Prayer it is conuenient to know what Prayer 〈◊〉 to Goâ—â—â— For of thiâ—â—s not knowne what they are there is little desire to attaine vnto them be they neuer so excellent in them selues or profitable vnto others Therefore to vse a breefe definition or rather description of Prayer vnto God may be said to bee the Tribute of the soule powring out praises vnto him for benefites already receiued or making supplications for such things as we stand in need of and seeke of his Heauenly Maiesty Farther to make a celestiall representation by terrestrial comparison Prayer vnto God may be termed to be as it were a Bucket to draw vp the water of Life from the bottomles Well of Gods infinite grace and mercie In the efficacie and effects it may bee likened vnto a strong Wall or Fortresse to guard the soule of him that rightly vseth it from the temptation and spoile of Sathan So is it an Armour against all aduersities and the Soules Medicine against al maladies that doth inuade indanger it To conclude this which brings vs to happinesse with that which in Diuine contemplation of heauenly Mysteries wee may somwhat shew what Prayer is as the Diuines doe declare what God is by signifying what hee is not nor cannot be So it may be said of Prayer a principall part of Gods worshippe not to be the sport or supine exercise of humane Wit nor the practise of sloathfull creatures continuing in known sinnes vnrepented but it is an ardent and zealous inuocation and in some sort a Conference with God Two partes of Prayer There are two parts of Prayer as hath bin already in part pointed out For by shewing what Prayer is we shew in some sort of what it consisteth that is Petition and Praise or Thankesgiuing vnto God Petition is an humble suit and seeking vnto God either for pardon of our sinnes for supply of spirituall graces or of temporall necessities such as our wants in both which are great doe vrge vs to aske for assistance from the Almighty Praise Thanksuing is an ardent and harty acknowledgment with a landing of Gods most glorious name and mercie As there are two parts Two kinds of Prayer so there are two kindes of Prayer the one Mentall the other Vocall The Mentall prayer is vvhen our inward conceptions and meditations of the minde are fixed on the Maiesty of God by secret and silent recounting without expression of words the miseries that our sinnes haue brought vpon our selues also wheÌ„ we remember and reioyce at the mercies of God and so do internally magnifie him for the same and for his wonderfull workes of Iustice iudgement prouidence and preseruation without vttering of any words The other kinde of Vocall Prayer is when the heart cannot be contained and satisfied onely vvith contemplation but striues to set the tongue voyce on worke either priuately alone or publikely conioyned with congregation and assembly of Christians to pray vnto God to praise him The first is profitable if it bee done with zeale deuotion and vnderstanding but the second is commonly more firme and fruitefull For when the soule is soliciting on this seruice of God yet the exteriour sences doe many times seduce and withdraw the inward meditation which maketh them vanish often wax vaine except they be vnited and bound together with the organs of voyce and speech so these concurring make an euen harmony A comparison that inward as the Heart which being the seate of the vitall spirites gâ—ines quickning spirit to the body this outward being as the Lungs which receyued from within and vents outbreath without which the heart it selfe cannot long continue
capacitie can affoord according to the sense and feeling of his sinnes the longing of his soule and the necessitie of his present estate Next vnto the time the place and words for vs to vse in prayers there followeth to bee considered the Faith and feruencie that should accompany our prayers with a most principall essentiall part thereof this ought to be in feruency of spirit without fainting for to pray without zeale is but to tempt and mocke God And God will not bee worshipped in words onely without the inward affection of the hart which is as well knowne to God the searcher of reines and heart as the words that are vttered in prayer Therefore they which pray without faith without feruency performe no more then plants which growe without feeling Nay they do not so much for the one doth performe the workes of nature which it is not taught to doe but the others do forsake not follow the rules of Religion which by reason and instruction they are informed and required to doe It is not then sufficient to say many prayers and to continue long in prayer for as one saith the true effect of prayer consisteth not in bare words nor in the multitude of wordes that wee speake but in the cogitations and faithfull desires of the heart And it is not our words but our desires that enters into the secret eares of the All-hearing Al-giuing and Al-seeing God How much then doe they wrong the Maiesty of God and the saluation of their soules which runne to prayers as vnto a stage play without any preparation without any Faith or without any zeale but heaping vp prayers yet scarce thinking what they say or to whom they do pray The Astronomers affirme that the Moone is Eclipsed when the earth is interposed betwixt her and the Sunne so may it be auerred that the meditations which we deliuer in praier are much eclipsed and darkned when earthly cogitations doe interpose betwixt the mind of man his diuine Meditation which is the Sun shine clearest light of his soule Prayer vnto Gody is iâ— secret conferrence with God therefore Augustine calleth the booke of his prayers and meditations his Soliloquium that is the alone talke or secret conference of his soule with God How carefull zealous and humble then ought wee to be in our conferre with so great a Lord and our onely God For when any men doth conserue with his better especially with one that is farre his superiour as a Nobleman a Prince or any great personage how circumspect will hee be to shewe all the signes of reuerence and duty in word in gesture and countenance and if he doe not vse all these obseruations which may testifie his humility and obeisance vnto his superiour he may feare to bee noted of presumption and to incurre the displeasure of him with whom hee conferreth If then such ceremony and reuerence bee vsed and required in conference betwxit man and man how much more careful watchfull and fearefull ought euery man to bee in prayer which is his conference with God Therefore hee that will pray vnto God effectually ought in the time of prayer wholly to exercise his mind and his senses in the constant faithfull deuout and feruent calling vpon his Creator hauing mind on no other matter then on his meditations which he doth present nor on any other person then his God to whom hee doth deliuer them CAP. V. A preparation to prayer HAuing considered and discussed somewhat the property of prayer to God and what it is the necessity manner and profit thereof it will not be amisse or vnnecessary to shew something of the preparation that should be made before we do enter into this holy exercise For as before wee fâ—ll into any actiuity of the body exercise of the mind or other action of accompt which wee desire should bee acceptable vnto them before whom wee present the same there is alwayes some time of preparation taken to the end the same may be the more exquisitely managed so is it much more needfull that before this spirituall exercise of prayer a sound preparation of the mind and soule should still be premised otherwise it may fall out in this holy exercise as it doth in matters of far losse moment that 〈◊〉 that is not well prepared may bee soone intrapped distracted The best rules therefore that my simple iudgement can affoord for preparation to prayer are these 1 First before wee begin our prayers we should fall into some strict examination of our selues touching our sinne and the estate of our life wherein wee may best consider what we had most need to craue at Gods hands 2 Next we must call to remembance the mercies of God his iustice his iudgments and his wonderfull workes whereby in our prayers we may learne and vse aswell as in the rest of our life to loue him for his mercies to feare him for his iustice and iudgements aswell as to magnifie him for his wonderfull workes which cogitations conioyned may make our following meditations more perfect and profitable 3 Thirdly before wee fall vnto prayer wee ought to sequester our senses from all wandering idle vaine cogitations and to cast away all euill thoughts as Helias did cast his Mantle to the earth when he ascended to heauen resoluing fully with the fauour of God whom we purpose then to serue not to entertaine any worldly thoghts that may with-drawe our deuotions from his diuine Maiesty but to banish all passions pleasures and perturbations of the mind and to recall vnto memorie our last and most pressing sins by an inward feeling of them ioyned with repentance a purpose to pray for pardon and amendment Then being thus christianly resolued we must yet before wee begin to pray labour to bring with vs by faith a liuely and a longing apprehension of Gods promises and mercies and an vndoubted beleefe of his most iust heauenly performance of that which he hath graciously promised and we doe faithfully pray for Afterwards when by meditation we haue made this passage for prayer which requires faithfull watchfull progresse if yet wee finde as vsually wee may finde that any euill or vaine thoughts doe assalt vs when we are comming on to this holy exercise we must seeke euen at the first feeling thereof to resist and reiect it without giuing any kinde of small entertainement thereto considering that euill cogitations are of two kinds either immitted or permitted they are immitted by the frailty of the flesh the temptations of Sathan the weaknesse of the inner senses being deluded by the obiects which the exterior senses especially the sight doth conuey vnto them and these immitted euill cogitations doe hurt the heauenly Meditations of our prayers especially when they are permitted to harbour and to remaine within vs. Therefore as soone as any such temptations come towards vs in our prayers we must presently pray vnto God to strengthen our Faith forgiue
cause it to be done good Lord Amen A Prayer to bee prepared for death OVr liues good Lord we see are short and most vncertain our souls are full of sinne our selues are subiect to many dangers wee couet possessions and preferments but know not how long wee shall enioy them nor are wee assured who shall haue them when we leaue this life Most mercifull God teach vs so to meditate and so to measure this spanne and short space of fading life that finding how fraile it is wee may passe this our pilgrimage in a conscionable course not mispending time in vaine or vicious liuing waiting for the time of our dissolution awaking our spirits from sin and security wherein we haue laien as in a slumber drawing on to death Good God giue vs faith in the blood of thy Son repentance for our former euill wayes reconciliation by thy mercies and the mediation of our Redeemer Shut vp our exterior sences from those obiects of sinne which betraid our soules settle our interiour sences to repose freed by thy fauours from Passion Anger Ambition Concupiscence Couetousnesse Lust Vncharitablenesse Vnbeleefe and all other wickednesse which defile and destroy our soules so being purged from our polutions and being guarded and guided by thy good gouerning Spirite wee may make this life a meditation of death the time to come a cure of former trespasses and the conclusion of all to be thy glory the good of thy Church the maintenance of thy trueth finally the saluation of our soules through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A prayer to be vsed when death drawes neere O LORD this sinful and vncertaine life which I haue led being now drawne neere amend I beseâ—ch thee that hast hitherto prolonged life and now doest dispose death purge me from my sinnes past by the precious blood and powerfull death of thy Son our Sauiour Christ Iesus in his wounds and by his sufferings wash away our sins In this short season of my time almost all spent grant me hearty repentance for my transgressions a longing desire of a better life a change not onely from my corruptions but from all my former failings and as natural strength growes weaker so grant that spirituall Graces in mee may grow stronger Helpe Lord to quicken my sinfull sences to quiet my conscience with assurance of thy fauour and mercy Be with mee by thy all-assisting aide as in my life so at my death that neither sinne death nor hell may haue the conquest ouer mee but so strengthned saued commending my spirite and soule vnto thy safeguard thou that hast made it will vouchsafe to saue it for thy Sonne and for thy owne mercies sake I come Lord come thou vnto me I faint Lord strengthen me My life departs yet saue my sinfull soule Lord I come helpe me to come vnto thee Lift vp mine eyes my hands my heart Lord receiue and saue my soule Let this last sentence be often said as long as speech doth last and bee inwardly conceiued when words cannot bee vttered FINIS The Table A Prayer for deuotion in prayer 58 Morning prayer in a Family 61 A morning prayer to be vsed in priuate 66 A prayer for the Euening in the Family 68 A priuate prayer for one going to bed 73 Certaine Meditations and short eiaculations of prayers to bee vsed in the night 75 A praier for deliuerance from temptations 77 A prayer for patience in time of wants and dâ—sgraces 80 A prayer in time of sicknes 83 A prayer for knowledge 89 A prayer to bee kept from all vncleannesse of our lustes 92 A prayer before the hearing of the word preached 96 A prayer after the hearing of a Sermon 99 A prayer before the receyuing of the Lords Supper 103 A prayer after the receiuing of the holy Communion 106 A prayer in the time of vnseasonable weather 109 A prayer to be vsed vvhen dearth scarsity comes 112 A Prayer in time of plague and pestilence 115 A Prayer for increase and continuance of spirituall giftes and graces 119 A prayer to bee prepared for death 124 A prayer to bee saide when death drawes neere 127 FINIS