times of Peace and Prosperity whilest our Protestant Religion the best because the truest is enioyed and established might by Gods permission and all helping power in these serene and and Sunshining dayes before there come more darkenesse and danger cast off carelessenes of planting Truth supplanting Errors practising of Piety preseruing the publique peace and safetie reforming of things amisse in the Church Common-weale which cannot be done withour more diligence and vigilancie courage prouidence and care especially by setting the chief watchmen in the Church and State more closely to their Stations the one by Doctrine Discipline and Diligence the other by Counsell and CircuÌ„spection to prevent perills and to procure the peace of this our Sion And that this may bee performed I conclude with the ensuing Prayer that being the subiect of this small preceding Treatise A Prayer for the peace and prosperitie of the Kings Maiestie his Dominions and Subiects MOst mighty gracious and merciful God who hast made dost gouerne and preserue the Heauens the Earth and all the Creatures therein coÌ„tained Be mercifull vnto vs most miserable and sinnefull creatures who were ordained for thy seruice and yet doe nothing more or so much as commit sins against thy supâ—came Majestie Wee haue from the highest to the lowest beene polluted with originall sinnes Our great our grieuous and our out-crying sinnes call vnto thee for our destruction and damnanation But because thy Mercy is aboue all thy other workes which yet exceede in greatnesse Wee prostrate our selues before thy Throne of grace beseeching thee for thy Sonnes sake and for thine owne goodnesse sake to saue vs poore sinners who desire to doe thee seruice though hitherto wee haue gone astray and walked in the waies of wickednesse Thou hast planted thy glorious Gospell of truth heere amongst vs we haue professed but wee haue not practised it as we should yet because it is the planting of thine own right hand suffer not our sinnes to pluck vp the same but rather supplant our sinnes and thereby strengthen our states and soules To this end good and gracious God looke vpon thy seruant our Soueraign whom thou hast set ouer vs inlighten his royall heart with thy sauing Graces of knowledg piety couÌ„sell care prouidence for preseruation and aduancement of thy truth and of the people that thou hast committed to his charge Giue him Zeale fortitude power peace and protection against all that are Enemies to true Religion and to those Realmes thou hast appointed him to rule Giue him a discerning heart to discouer and shun all dangers and all that bee dangerous to him and to his Dominions vnite his heart in loue to his people and them in loyalty to him O LORD preserue thy people vnder him in peace Protect them from forrayne power and both him and them from home-bred conspiracies and all other mischieuous machinations Make the Prince his Magistrates and People zealous of thy seruice and glory constant and carefull in keeping thy Commandements couragious for defence of thy Trueth and their Countrey Conscionable and Charitable That so they may bee still thy faithfull seruants and thou their mercifull God So shall thy glorious Gospell and the light of thy Trueth euer remaine amongst vs vntill the comming of thy Sonne Christ Iesus that thou mayest raigne ouer vs and we remaine with thee in eternall Blisse Amen Amen Good Lord. A Prayer for our afflicted Brethren the Protestants beyond the Seas MOst gracious and merciful Father who vsest to chasten thy Children and to correct whom thou louest Haue mercy on those that suffer for mainetenance of thy trueth Their sinnes haue deserued thy punishments and yet we that haue sinned as much if not more haue not suffered so much for our sinnes Thou hast sent thy scourge to let them see their sinnes Thou hast not gone out with their hostes but hast scattered them O Lord yet heale and binde vp their bones which thou hast broken gather them together and now thou hast taught the Princes that their power is in vaine without thy protection and the people that there is no confidence in the arme of flesh giue theÌ„ yet confidence in thy fauour patience in aduersity courage to fight for thy Trueth comfort amidst their calamities O Lord thou doest permit thy people Israel many times after thy long sufferings and their great sinnes to bee ouercome by the Iebusites Amalachites and Philistims The Arke was taken and they cried out the glory of Israel was departed yet thou didst send helpe when there was no helpe nor hope in Man O Lord thou hast executed Iustice and Iudgement yet leaue not thine to their oppressors and when thou hast dealt with them according to thy mercy teach them thy Statutes that they may know thy Testimonies It is time O Lord for thee to worke for the persecutors of the Trueth haue destroyed thy Law The Kings of the earth band themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and his annointed O yet thou Lord of Hostes breake their bandes in sunder and cast away their cordes And though the waters rage and be troubled yet let thy seruants finde and say the Lord of hostes is with them and the God of Iacob is their refuge And that when thy seruants our persecuted brethren haue receiued comfort and deliuerance they may reioyce in thy mercies sing praises vnto thee and call vnto their neighbors to behold the wonderfull workes thou hast done for them to make it knowen vnto the world It is thou that makest wars to cease It is thou that hast broken the bowe cuttest the speare and burnest the Chatiot in sunder So we pray for them and for one another Beseeching thee to graunt vs these requests For thy Sonnes sake our Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen A Prayer to bee vsed on the Sabbath Day O Lord God of infinite power and prouidence who after thy euer to bee admired and praised worke of creating this World didst ordaine one day of seauen to bee kept as a Sabboth not only to be free from labour and trauell but to be wholly dedicated and kept holy for thy seruice in Prayers and praises to be offered vnto thy Maiestie as an incense and oblation of thankefull acknowledgement of thy most great might and mercies in creating this world and ordayning man to gouerne all creatures therein conteyned in conseruing all these thy Creatures for his vse and him for thy seruice in giuing him light of Knowledge and vnderstanding of thy Word and Commandement and of the things hee should doe or leaue vndone As we receiue these thy blessings and benefits so specially on this day which thou hast selected for thy seruice O Lord settle vs vnto it fit vs for it and grant grace not only vnto vs heere present but to the publicke state and to particular persons in other places not only to rest from labours on this day but to shun sinne to communicate with thy seruants in thy seruice to
fell from it when wee sought not from the sacred Counsels of thy holy Commandements which way wee should walke Our Temptations O blessed resister and restrainer of the Tempter are either sodaine wherein our flesh and frailty easily suffers vs to be surprized or else continued and importunate wherein wee cannot without thy heauenly assistance maintaine the Combate or continue the Conflict In all these wee are weake and thou O Lord art strong strengthen our weakenesse sustaine vs against Sathan Suffer vs not to bee surprized Repulse him by re-uniting thy heauenly Spirit vnto our fraile flesh stregthening vs when we cannot stand and restoring vs when we are fallen O Lord Thou onely art able to deliuer vs from dangers both of body and soule Our temptations comes from both Our naturall corruptions in the body our infused contagions in the soule had neede of thy ayde to defend and deliuer vs from temptations Our deliuerance comes from thee that our prayses and thanksgiuing may returne vnto thee O deliuer saue and defend vs from the suggestions of Sathan Amen For thine is the Kingdome Power Glorie and Dominion THe Kingdoms and Territories of the Earth most mighty Lord are thine in Creation power praise and Dominion It is thine O LORD for thou hast first framed it It is thine for thou dost conserue and presetue it It is thine for thou dost rule and gouerne the Vniuerse Thy Sonne hath said His Kingdome vvas not of this Worlde because he would not rule visibly and temporally but spiritually and eternally Yet thou hast giuen him power in heauen and in earth to redeeme sinners and to saue sinnefull men What Kingdome can bee greater more glorious and firme What power can bee more ample or so beneficiall What glory can shine more in and vnder the firmament of Heauen O therefore by that thy power bring vs vnto this thy Kingdome where wee may haue rest without trouble comfort without contention ioy without end and thou mayest receiue kingdome without resistance Power without diminution Glorie without deniall and Dominion without disobedience To this thy Kingdome by thine owne power bring vs to giue thee glory and to be true subiects of thy dominion for thine owne for thy Sonne and for thy seruants sake Amen One Prayer framed vpon all the parts of the Lords Prayer MOst mightie God most mercifull Father Thou art not onely in Heauen by thy presence but in Heauen and Earth by thy power Thou in thy mercy hast vouschsafed to choose and accompt vs for thy children Wee by our transgressions haue failed to doe the duties of Children Thou art in heauen and beholdest vs We are on earth and are so earthly minded that we cannot behold and confesse as wee should thy Maiesty thy mercie and thy Iustice Thy Name is hallowed and holy yet we take thy name in vaine dishonour it and thereby destroy our own soules Thy Kingdome is already come both in heauen and in the hearts of the Regenerate O graunt vs regenerate hearts that wee may come vnto thee and vnto thy kingdome Thy Will O good and gracious God is that they whom thou hast ordayned to bee Saints in Heauen should bee holy and so serue thee to doe thy will here on earth that they may attaine to thy heauenly inheritance But alas how doe wee transgresse the will breake thy lawes and follow our owne willes O yet here make vs Ministers and fulfillers of thy holy will that hereafter we may bee partakers of thy heauenly possessions Thou giuest vs good Lord dayly bread foode and sustenance wee as we haue neede dayly desire the continuance thereof Wee come with hands to receiue but not with hearts to render pray â—ses for these thy blessings O let our daies to come be as full of thankefullnesse as those past haue bene of vnthankefullnesse Teach vs day by day to desire not onely corporall but spirituall foode holyly to vse and not fleshly to abuse either of both That we may not desire our meat to pamper our bodies and to prouoke them to lust but to liue soberly to take sufficient and to auoide excesse That wee seeke not spirituall foode onely to seeme to be but indeed to be truely religious Our trespasses mosâ— mercifull Father are great infinite and grieuous Wee come to thee and wee cry to thee for forgiuenesse Thou O Lord art ready to remiâ— them vpon our repentance Wee goe oâ— with our sinnes buâ— not with sorrow foâ— hauing committed them with promisâ— of pardon vnto other who haue offendeâ— vs and yet wee for giue not them as wee desire to bee forgiuen This is the cause that wee neither receiue pardon nor amende our sinnefull liues And this is the cause of our present hardnesse of our hearts and will bee of our future greater punishments except thou in thy mercy forget and forgiue our former trespasses make vs able hereafter to amend them and make vs charitable to forgiue the trespasses of our brethren offending vs as we doe thee It is not thou gracious God that leadest vs into temptations but wee are ledd into them by our owne lustes and infirmities wee fall into them by our owne fraileties wee are inuited by the inticements oâ— others and by the subtiltie of Satan Iâ— thou good God dost suffer and noâ— sustaine vs wee noâ— onely receiue buâ— runne headlong into temptations and eueâ— sincke vnder the burthen Before wee know where we stand we fall and can neither withstand nor rise vp againe except thou helpe vs O bee thou our supporter strength Arme our soules our hearts and our consciences so shall wee bee safe vnder thy saluation and bee couered vnder the wings of thy most mercifull protection The euills that come to vs are from the euills that are within vs and are intertained by vs The euill affections of our hearts threaten to pull vpon vs corporall temporall spirituall and eternall punishments O keepe vs from the euill of our offences and sinnes that wee may shunne the euill of punishment for the same that so wee may not feele the weight of thy power and indignation but may here so be subiect obedient to thy Dominion that wee may hereafter enter into the ioyes of that celestiall kingdome which is thine and which thou hast prepared for such as truely serue thee heere and shall bee blessed Saints in heauen Amen Certaine short Prayers and Meditations vpon the ten Commandements I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of Bon dage SInce thou O Lord GOD great and glorious hast brought vs from bondage not onely corporall but from spirituall and eternall captiuitie by sending thy Sonne our Sauiour to suffer for our sinnes Suffer vs not O gracious God to fall againe into worse then the Aegyptian bondage of Idolatry Infidelitie Superstition and Ignorance Teach vs only truely and faithfully to adore thee our euerliuing God and our God that giuest life Let vs not O Lord doubt or distrust of thy power or prouidence
most mercifull God Graunt me power not onely to proceede in examination but in amendment For my prayers good God which should be the pathway to thy praise and the steppes to my saluation they are feeble and slow O make them stronger and more frequent Take from me in my prayers distractions doubting and dullnesse Remooue my most violent passions the perturbers of minde and soule Grant me grace to forgiue them that wrong mee and that I may pray for them that persecute mee as thy sonne my Sauiour did and hath taught mee to doe And as thy seruanâ— Stephen hath shewed me an example Take from me hatred and increase in mee louâ— and charity Graunâ— mee grace to ioynâ— faith with examination and examination with repentance And that I may be the better able to do this and all other good duties Giue me power to pray vnto thee and to prayse thee So be it Good Lord Amen The Differences in Deuotion and exercises of Religion betwixt the Protestants and the Romane Catholicks Especially in regard of Excesse and Defect FOr the excesse The Romanists tye themselues too much vnto Canonicall howers as they call them in the publike or priuate seruice of God As to say or sing Masse at such houres as in the forenoone at the howres of nine and eleauen to haue Angular Masses whereof many in one Church and in diuers Corners of the same Church at the same time To tye them in their priuate Deuotions to reade or rather to runne ouer the Iesus Psalter and other manuall bookes heretofore altogether in the Latiâ—e tongue which most of them vnderstood not at all So might they speake as Birdes are taught to speake by the pronunciation scarce of syllables aright sometime saying one word or at the least sounding one for another without any sence or signification to themselues what they speake But of latter times heere in England though not so in other Countries where the Roman Catholique Religion as themselues call it onely hath vse and force heere more then elsewhere They are lately tolerated by the authority of the Church of Rome to haue some few prayer bookes both in Latine and english but which of both they do most vse themselues do best know And either they are so full farced and stuffed with hymnes short versicles some without conclusion of sence and in most the sentences so shortly and suddainely set together the one leaping so close vpon the backe of the other that hardly can they remember or scarce perceiue what they say Onely they are made to beleeue that these ready but raw repetitions may serue for Gods seruice whereas the vnderstanding should be aswell supplyed as the affection in performance of true Religion Heerein is their excesse ioyned with defect Excesse of measure in heaping many words not well weyed Defect in the conception and knowledge of what they doe deliuer Besides there is an exceeding great Error allowed and taught in putting them not onely to pronounce those prayers so peeced which must needes be ouer perfunctorily thus speeded but some nay many I may say most of their prayers are directed to the Saints as intercessors whereof some were such as in their liueâ— were scarce holy but so esteemed and yet were in a maner deified onely because they adhered to the Pope of Rome Namely amongst others Thomas Becket sometime Arch-Bishop of Canterbury rebellious to his Soueraigne and so though euill slayne therefore Canonized Prayers allowed by publique authority printed and practised euen in our times As desiring God by the blood of this Becket to make the poore seduced suppliant to ascend where Christ ascended They making in those common prayer bookes more prayers to the blessed Virgin Mary then to our Sauiour himselfe They calling on her to beseech God the Father and to commaund God her sonne by the right of a Mother Which with many other most gross superstitions aswell in their publicke as in their priuate Deuotions themselues cannot deny or if they should yet their bookes are extant and their practises perspicuous Their creeping and their bending and bowing of their Bodies before the Images of some but supposed Saints The adoring of the Image of the Crosse and crucifixe with other but said to be but hallowed reliques what dishonor it hath broght to the Christian Religion and what danger to themselues although they will not acknowledge and their learnedest Teachers will seeme to defend or to excuse yet Intelligent and pious men who are not seduced by Iesuits and Romish Priests or so vnhappy as to be bred vp in their Schooles of superstition may perceiue though they wil not confesse That deuotion without true vnderstanding turnes soone vnto superstition That feruor without Faith and beliefe without knowledge makes many men erre grossely and offend most where they think they doe best Their bookes of Meditation are in many parts good to stirre Deuotion but in some places patched with superstition If this Cockle might be separated from their Corne it would proouemore profitable For the Protestants profession practise of Religion wherof I professe to be one If most ProtestaÌ„ts would be as feruent as frequent in their Praiers as many of theÌ„ are intelligent in that they pray they should more shun sinne and shame the Romanists who yet seeme to shun them by being more deuoute in that which they doe lesse vnderstand and are far more frequent in Praier And if there were more zeale joyned with Conscience it would much adorne the profession make it most excellent as it is in deede so would it be in estimation and effect But no profession can make men perfect The most perfection wee haue consists or is consummated in practise and action Peace and prosperitie which should helpe doth yet hinder Devotion It begets Pride and that ingenders presumption Affliction giues instruction gaines humility guides the Conscience and reformes euill liuing Witnesse nay many witnesses heereof were the persecutions of the Primitiue Church when vnder the Tyrannies and bloudy Massacres of the Christians by the Heathen Emperours Princes and Magistrates the Christians liues were shining lights of sanctitie their patient and constant sufferings causes of coÌ„uersion to many men who before knew not God nor what Godlinesse meant Their sinceritie and singlenesse of heart set vp Trophees for themselues and made them Conquerors ouer their cruellest and causelesse Enemies And I would I could not say in mine owne particular for my poore sinnefull selfe that when I enioyed the World as I did most wish I was euer then worst I would I could as well say that since Aduersitie came I became better yet if any thing worke in mee or in others amendement it must be Affliction and some Aduersitie Affliction in minde for sinne and a touch of Aduersitie for the same O therefore that so I may doe as now I say and that others may doe as I wish My Prayers I hope by the heauenly assistancce shall be That yet in these
doe faithfully call and trust on thee Wee most miserable and wretched sinners doe confesse vnto thee against our selues to our owne shame and to thy glory that wee were borne and conceiued in sinne that wee haue liued and continued in sinne that our whole liues haue beene nothing else but a heaping vp of sinne and iniquity against thy Holy and Heauenly Maiestie That there is no sinne in his owne nature so heynous or to thee so displeasing but either wee haue committed or else wee haue a pronenesse to commit the same The sinnes of our youth of our riper age and of our later euen of these last time shaue flowed one vpon another and haue polluted our soules defiled our bodies and displeased thy Maiestie so that there is nothing due vnto vs if thou shouldst deale with vs according to our deserts but death and destruction in this life Hell and perdition in the life to come Whither then should we flie for succour and reliefe If we goe vnto Man his breath is in his nostrils that perishing he perisheth If wee goe vnto Angels or to any power in Heauen they haue no power but what they receiueâ— from thee We come therefore vnto thee whose mercy is aboue all thy workes beseeching thee in the multitude of thy mercies to haue compassion on vs. And in that loue which thou shewedst vnto Mankind in sending thy Son to suffer for vs and to saue vs sinners that thou wouldst by his blood death and suffering wash away our sinnes And since thou hast sent him to Redeeme vs suffer vs not to be destroyed O Lord GOD graunt vs penitence and true repentance for our sins past watchfulnesse ouer all our wayes for time to come Care to keepe thy Comman dements strength to withstand the temptations of Satan Humility of heart patience in the times of tryall and aduersitie Constancy in calling vpon thee Feruency in praier Faith in thy promises Assurance of thy loue Assistance in Temptations Deliuerance from dangers of soule and body The right and Sanctified vse of thy creatures Charitie towards our neighbors and contentednes with our estates To this end gracious God take from vs all those things that take vs from thee and giue vs those graces that may make vs to loue thee and declare vs to be intirely beloued of thee Take from vs hardnesse of heart dulnesse and slownes in comming to thy seruice Neglect of those Holy duties thou requirest vs to doe Contempt of thy Commaundements Misbeliefe Vnbeliefe Despaire and doubting of thy mercy Distrust of thy prouidence Giue vs aboue all things Faith stedfaâ—â—ly to beleeue in thee feruour in thy seruice faithfulnesse in maintenance of thy trueth courage to lay downe our liues for the continuance of thy glorious Gospell thankefulnesse for all thy vnspeakable mercies a loue of those that serue thee in sin cerity of heart Liberalitie according to our abilities to those that are in distresse and danger for doing that they ought to do And when thou hast fitted vs for thy seruice and furnished our hearts with thy good graces then send vs the ioy of thy Holy Spirit a detestation of our former euill courses delight in keeping thy Lawes a desire to bee dissolued in thy good appointed time a meditation of our fraile liues and a preparation for our vncertaine deaths And now O blessed Lord wee pray not for our selues alone here present but for thy despised dispersed and distressed flocke throgh the face of the earth It is a little flocke O Lord increase it It is dispersed O Lord gather theÌ„ together into thy fold It is despised distressed Lord succour defend support them Let not the wild Boares destroy thy Vineyard nor the fat Bulles of Basan inuiroÌ„ and ouerwhelme thy chosen ones those that loue thy trueth Thou hast heretofore hedged thy Syon Thou hast mightily and miraculously defended thy chosen Israel Thy hand is not shortned thy power is still the same Let not therefore those that loue not thy trueth or them that loue it say where is now their God Be mercifull to our soueraign to all the Royall Progeny Gouerne the Gouernours of this Land Giue them true wisdome sincere vncorrupt and couragious hearts Innoble the true Nobility with Loyaltie to their Prince and State the leading of a good life and the longing for a better Inspire the Clergie with care and diligence to discharge their duties in their seuerall places Make the Commons of this Kingdome more iust more holy more conscionable in their courses more carefull of the common safety and prosperity of the publike State touch vs all with a zeale of thy feruice and truth an inward reuerence of thy most holy Maiestie a remorse of our former irreligious life That so when wee shall part from this place wee may part from our sinnes but not from sorrow for hauing committed them but may leaue them and leade a better life till wee bee brought from death to that life where sorrow and sin raigneth not where death hath no dominion and where complaints controuersies are not known but haue their ende This life good Lord graunt vs to leade in thy feare and in the ende to inioy that life where ioyes doe last for euer by the mercies of thee our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen A Prayer against Pride anger and Enuy. O LORD God who seest and searchest the secrets of all mens hearts Thou that knowest how subiect I am to Pride Anger and Enuie My heart good Lord is puffed vp with pride it swess with selfe conceipt vaine glory and ostentation I take too much pride of those parts of my Bodie as beautie strength and stature and make my selfe beleeue they are much more faire and fashionable then indeede they are So am I efflated and blowne vp like a bladder with conceit of mine owne knowledg wit vnderstanding and skill making them greater and more goodly vnto my selfe then they are or can bee These foule faults gracious God sometimes I finde in my selfe but nothing so often as I commit them And though now I confesse it yet I haue no power of my selfe to forsake this sinne by which our first Parents fell out of Paradise and we his sinnefull Progeny follow the same steppes and are ready thereby to runne headlong vnto Hell O yet most merciful father clense me from this corruption cure me and I shal be cleane graunt me a lowly penitent and humble heart Teach me to thinke worse of my selfe for my sins then of other men whose faults I know not that I may not thinke so well of my selfe to contemne others O teach me to learne meckenesse of thee my Sauiour who in thy humanitie hast ledde vs to the way of humblenes and meeknesse both of thy precepts and practise Thou hast said learne of me for I am meeke O sweet Sauiour what precept could bee sweeter better or what Example could bee more Holy and perfect If Lucifer an Angel of Heauen could
not bee safe but was cast downe frō thence through pride and arrogancy How should I bee safe whilest I commit this sinne so much and so often heere on earth Purge me therefore O God from Pride and leade me by thy Heauenly hand vnto Humility and lowlines of heart Lord God how much am I ouerwhelmed with wrath and anger how suddainly incensed vpon how small and slender occasions am I moued by wrath to vse reproach and to seeke reuenge to forsake Charity to seeke others harme and to aduenture mine owne ruine so that my minde cannot be peaceable and quiet Sodainely by anger reason is disturbed loue and good will forsaken Faith broken and fury drawing mee almost to madnesse by which I breake the bounds of Christian Charitie I beseech thee good Lord who feest how much I am subiect to this finne make me more patient and peaceable suppresse this passion of anger in me that I may passe by small offences and may not bee sodainely prouoked vnto impatience O Lord infuse into me moderation and modestie temperance and sobriety by which and especially by the assistance of thy holy Spirit I may bee able to master anger and passion the furies of my minde and the enemies of my Soule And if anger at any time seize on mee graunt that it may be setled on the zeale of thy truth and the seruice of thee my God for the suppressing of superstition and the seeking to vindicate thine honour against such as seeke to dishonour thee by Atheisme profanenesse and impiety yet so as I sin not by rashnesse or reuiling but by making a difference betwixt the persons and their peruersenes reseruing Charitie to the one and labouring reformation of the other take from me O Lord God enuy and malice suffer me not to fret at the prosperity of any no not of the wicked and impious persons whose bounds are set beyond which they shall not bee able to goe much lesse let me enuy them who walke in vpright waies But if through offence or iniuries I haue been at any time prouoked to proceede against them yet let mee not continue with them in contention through dislike or disgust to wish them euill But teach me by singlenesse and sincerity of heart to shunne the malicing of any man that so shewing mercy and meekenesse I may receiue mercy from thee that art the Lord of mercy to whom bee giuen Honour and glory now and for euer Amen A Prayer of Thankesgiuing after deliuery from Sickenesse and Danger of Disease THou O Lord most mighty and mercifull hast sent sickenesse as a scourge for sinne as a tryall of our Faith and testimony of thy fauour when it pleaseth thee to restore health Thou hast visited me and brought me neere the gates of Death yet hast thou deliuered mee from danger to the end I might publish thy praise and lead a more godly life Feare came vpon mee on euery side my flesh Spirit did faint but thy holy hand did sustaine mee and helpe mee vp What praises most gracious God shall I render vnto thee for thy protection and preseruation But that I doe as I am able And O Lord inable me more to laude thee more to call vpon thy name and to shew thy workes vnto the people to sing vnto thee prayses for this thy mercy in deliuering me from the danger of Death And now that thou hast restored mee to health O Lord restore mee to thy fauour And as thou hast giuen strēgth vnto my body so blessed God strengthen my Soule against Sinne and Satan that I may liue to giue thee Glory and during this fading life I may bee made faithfull in keeping thy Commandements seruing thee in sinceritie of soule and seeking thy glory both now and at all times Amen A Prayer for the mainetenance of Peace O LORD God most mighty and gracious Our sinnes are great and grieuous our pride malice and ambition begets contentions whence growes Warres and Desolation Blood-shedding and destruction thou that art the Lord of Hostes seest it is in the hands of Princes to make warres but it is in thy power only to end them and to saue thy people Great are the gatherings and forces already of armed men ready to destroy one another and great is like to be the slaughter Except thou most mercifull God be pleased to pacifie the minds of the Princes and of the People and to saue them who otherwise will fall to slaughter Take yet most gracious God thine owne Cause into thine own hand help thy people that professethy truth lest they perish Preserue them from perills Saue good Lord such as serue thee in truth and call vpon thee in sincerity of heart Let not the Mightie ouerwhelme thy chosen Children but either let the Oppressors feele thy power or make them to incline their heartes vnto peace and so saue the effusion of bloud and temper the hearts of Christian Princes that they may come to the Knowledge of the truth that Mercy and Truth may meet together that righteousnesse and peace may kisse each other So bee it good Lord. FINIS LONDON Printed by Aug Mathewes for Robert Swayne and are to bee sold at his Shop at the Signe of the Bible in Britaines Burse
but that our faith may bee firme our hope assured and our confidence in thee alwaies constant to expect the good pleasure in performance of thy gracious promises but that I may loue and honour thee aboue and more then all creatures which are corruptible the workemanship of thy hands and which as they haue their being from thee so they can not bee at all or subsist without thy sustentation As thou art O Lord graunt that wee may honour thee as thou art our God that wee may praise thee World without end Amen Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me THe Heathen O LORD GOD euerlasting giue thy glory vnto stickes stones and other imaginary idle vaine and euill things The Infidels and vnbeleeuers doe either openly or secretly deny thy Deitie and diuine incomprehensible Majestie The ignorant and evill instructed people though they by custome professe somewhat of thy seruice and power yet they know not what it is but either through euill instruction or for want of instruction know not or care not how to keepe thy Commandements O Lord teach them that beleeue amisse the wayes of truth and to amend their errors those that beleeue not touch their hearts make them to tremble at thy terrors and diuine Iustice which yet they feele not and so to entertaine Faith that their soules may be saued Teach vs that professe thy truth to practise it That we may haue none other Gods but thee the True and onely Euerliuing GOD There is none other but onely thou that art good and goodnesse it selfe How then shall wee stand in iudgement before thee who preferre and accompt any any created thing before or in comparison of thee O let our knees and hearts bow downe before thee alone with faith with feare and with acknowledgement Then we shall haue none other Gods but thee neither follow our owne fantasies nor the corrupt doctrine of such as misleade others Thou shalt not make vnto thy selfe the Image or likenesse of any thing in Heauen above or in the Earth beneath or in the Waters vnder the Earth For c. AS thy power O LORD is greatest and thy preheminence aboue all thy Creatures in the heauens and in the earth So is thine Honour so precious that thou wouldest not haue it giuen to any thing in heauen or in in earth Yet good Lord our natures are so fraile and our soules so sinfull that wee fancie and frame vnto our selues imaginary worshippe of creatures in Heauen in earth and in the waters by their similitude and likenesse giuing or attributing thy glory to those glowormes being false and fading fantasies of our owne imaginations Since then most mighty Maker and Monarch of heauen and earth thou seest our frailtie to fall and the dishonor of thy Maiestie by false worship by framing the likenesse of any creature to worship O suffer vs not to make to set vp or to adore false Gods to fall before them to place any power or hope in them to trust to our owne policie or power to depend vpon earthly helpes ioyes or delights but to rely onely vpon thy strength good will and pleasure That nothing in heaven aboue in the earth beneath or in the waters vnder the earth may carry vs from thy true worship and seruice which is our safety and concernes thy glory to whom be giuen praise without ceasing and Honour without Superstition now and for euer Amen Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine O Lord GOD most mighty and merciful since thy maiestie is so high great and glorious how carefull should wee be to conserue a reuerend and awefull estimation of thy holy name as to honour it in thought word and deed But O most gracious God how carelesse are wee to keep thy holy Commandement How ready by irreligion to blaspheme thy holy Name with oathes curses execrations to abuse thy holy Attributes in forswearing and false accusing to name thee O our good GOD in our mouthes when wee haue thee not in our hearts to dissemble and make Hypocriticall profession of thy holy and true Religion without any care or conscience to put it in practise O most mightie and mercifull God we beseech thee to pardon and passe by our profanenesse in taking thy name in vaine our impiety in blaspheming thy holy name our rashnesse in naming thee without inward reuerence or remembrance of thy power honour and Maiestie our pronesse to mention thy Word Workes and Worship without due premed tation and consideration O teach vs when wee talke thinke or inuocate thy holy name to doe it with conscience faith and seare when we thinke on it to cogitate and call to memory that wee are in thy presence to beleeue that wee are vnder thy power and subiect to thy punishment Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath Day sixe dayes c. SInce thou most glorious God by thine omnipotent power hast created this World and by thy providence for a perpetuall memoriall of this thy most wonderfull Worke hast or dained a Sabbath or seaueth day of rest to bee celebrated and set apart for thy Seruice In which wee should be free from seruile workes and worldly cares O LORD therefore sanctifie vs and so prepare our heartes for this thy seruice that we may make a conscience of performing this thy Precept For this purpose Let vs bee carefull to keepe thy Sabbaothes in publique in the Congregation and Assembly of thy Seruants by Prayer prayses and hearing of thy Word In priuate by Preparation Meditation Conference Consideration of thy Clemencie and Workes of Creation and Preseruation as in deeds of Charitie Mercie and Compassion to the needy For this ende good and gracious GOD fitte and furnish our hearts our wits and our vnderstandings with Zeale Knowledge and Conscience to shake off on this thy holy Sabbaths sloth and slownes to come vnto thine Assemblies and to exercise these religious Duties to cast away worldly cares bodily labours except such as are for necessitie for present preseruation of things ready to perish which cannot bee otherwise preuented or longer deferred and of that which may with most Moderation set forward the religious Exercises and holy Duties of that Day These Graces graunt vs Amen Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy c. O Lord God as thou art the Propagator and Protector of our soules to whom only we should giue diuine Honour so wouldst thou that we should giue to our naturall Parents reuerence obedience sustenance and faithfulnesse which in Iustice is due for the cause of our birth being education and maintenance by them And that we may doe this which thou good God requirest Wee beseech thee remoue from vs Pride selfe-conceite and selfe-loue neglect of our dutie to our Parents and Superiours impatience when they shall exercise authoritie inflict punishment or demaund those things to bee done which we doe dislike or not desire Hardnesse of heart when they stand in neede of our helpe