A contentious Wife will trouble a Family and bring disquietness to a quiet Husband Therefore the Wife is to be peaceable and the same ought to be the care of the Husband not to be captious chiding with his Wife for every small thing he seeth amisse But to follow the Apostles Rule 1 Thess 4.11 Study to be quiet especially with his Wife This is a hopeful means to prevent disturbance in a Family and to preserve Conjugal Love between Husband and Wife The nineteenth Direction or Gold-link of Love The nineteenth Direction or Gold-link of Love is to learn and act St. Paul his practice as it is recorded Phil. 4.11 12 13. If a Man hath married a Wife or a Woman a Husband which proveth not according to expectation First it may be a cross or careless Husband or one that is tyrannical over his Wife to make her his Slave or his Servant or otherwise that is a daily vexation to his provident and pious good Wife a common Tavern or Ale-house-Haunter or a desperate Gamester a mispender of his precious time or estate in idle or evil Company neglecting his Calling and Houshold occasions 1 Sam. 25.17 c. or a Nabal a Churlish Clown and ingratefull as Nabal was Or that a Husband hath failed of his expectation and hath met with a riotous mispending Wife or one that is perverse and unquiet or contrary to the Apostles Rule will usurp authority over the Man which she ought not 1 Tim. 2.12 If she prove sickly or diseased weak and unable to perform all Duties yet if she be faithful to him in the Marriage Covenant to keep her onely to him so long as they both shall live If God lay his Hand upon them with or in Tryals and Troubles Losses and Crosses in the World they must both labour by the Power and Grace of Christ to submit to God's Providence and to be content with their Lot and Condition It may be God did leave thee to thy self in the Choice of Wife or of thy Husband for tryal of thy Faith or Patience or other Graces Good Patient Job had not the best Wife that was so unkind to him in his great Affliction as you may read Job 19.17 It may be God saw it best for thee to have such a Wife or such a Husband to humble thee or for other ends and all for thy good which all things must be If thou love God and art called by Christ to repent and believe on him according to God's purpose as St. Paul Rom. 8.28 Therefore to study Piety and contentment shall be your great gain in the end as the Spirit of God witnesseth 1 Tim. 6.6 Labour then by Love to amend what you find amiss in each other and that by all fair means This will be a way to prevent worse evils and to preserve Conjugal Love between Husbands and Wives whilst they live The twentieth and last Direction A twentieth Direction or Gold-link of love or Gold link of Love to preserve Love between Husbands and wives which I shall give at this time is to pray constantly and piously with Faith and Fervency to God as reconciled in Christ There is Grace and Wisdome and strength in Christ to inable you to perform these and all other Duties required of you Read Joh. 1.16 Joh. 15.5 Col. 1.19 Col. 2.3 Phil. 4.11 12 13. both for and with one another not in private onely in your Family but in secret in your Closets if possibly it may be That the most blessed God will in and for the Merits of Christ pardon all Sins heal all Infirmities and by his free Grace in Christ supply all defects and reform whatsoever is found amiss either in Husband or Wife and by the Power and Spirit and Grace of Christ to inable them to perform all Duties first to God then to each other with care and faithfulness yea to all other Superiors Inferiors or equally so to live together as Heirs of the Grace of Life that your Prayers be not hindred The Husband may say to the Wife 1 Pet. 3.7 and the Wife to her Husband as Samuel said to the Israelites 1 Sam. 12.23 God forbid I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you Prayer is a Duty incumbent upon all to practice daily And the fervent Prayer of God's Children is effectuall James 5.16 17. If any be tempted to any Sin pray as St. Paul did 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. Isaac prayed for his Wife and God heard him and gave her Children Genesis 25.21 Hannah she prayed for a Son and God gave her the Request of her Soul 1 Sam. 2.23 What should I tell you That Monica St. Augustins good Mother did pray for her Son and the Lord heard her and fulfilled her desires What greater encouragement can be or need to be to this duty Pray till God answer Joh. 16.23 then that gracious Promise of our Saviour That whatsoever we ask the Father in his Name he will give it us Joh. 16.3 Oh then my Beloved in Christ Pray as Jacob did Gen. 32.26 Hosea 12.4 be sure to practice this duty of Prayer not onely in publick in the Congregations joyn with the publick Prayers of the Church But in private in your Families and in secret in your Closets daily Persevere in prayer untill God bless you Rom. 12.12 And if you have not Prayer-Books to answer every Dispensation and to direct you in particular Petitions according to your present Necessities as who hath Then learn and labour to be able your selves by the help of the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication promised to Gods Church and Children Zach. 12.10 To make your Request known unto God upon all occasions Read Phil. 4.6 7. The peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Math. 7.7 8. Husbands for your Wives and Wives for your Husbands and both for your Children with the greatest reverence and the best expressions you can as to your heavenly Father who biddeth Ask and you shall have Thus may you obtain this great Blessing That Love may continue firm and constant between Husband and Wife whilest you live to your comfort and joy in Christ Jesus for ever which that it may be by Gods Blessing and shall be my daily Prayer for you all And that all Honour and Glory may be given to God the Father God the Son and God the blessed Spirit now and for ever Amen Some Divine Prayers for Husbands and Wives That God will be pleased to give them spiritual wisdom and strength in and by the Grace of Christ for the faithful performance of their mutual Duties that a blessing may be from God upon them and their Posterities for ever Drawn by the Author according to the matter and end of this Gold Chain of Directions A Morning Prayer for the Husband or wife or either of them with their Family or any other fit Person to Pray when the husband is absent
O Lord Zach. 12.10 prepare our hearts to Prayer and so assist us with thy holy Spirit of Prayer and Supplication Rom. 8.26 27. that our Prayers may be acceptable Rev. 8.3 4. and we may receive a gracious Answer in and for the sweet Incense and Merits of the Lord Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour Amen O eternal Deut. 32.27 most gratious merciful everlasting everliving Exod. 34.6 7. Jer. 10.11 1 Tim. 1.17 Isaiah 46.9 10. Rom. 8.28 Rom. 11.33 34 35 36. and only wise God who orderest all things according to the Counsel of thy own most just and holy Will and disposest of all for thy own eternal Glory and the eternal good of thy Church and Children in Christ Jesus of whom may we seek for Protection and safety of Soul or Body or any other blessing but of thee our God and heavenly Father in our Saviour Christ from whom cometh every good and perfect Gift James 1.17 with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning The last night we durst not lay down our eyes to sleep Psal 132.4 nor suffer the temples of our head to take any rest until we had begged thy gratious Providence for preservation of us and ours in particular and of thy whole Church in general And thou O blessed God who art the hearer of Prayer hast in thine abundant goodness heard our Prayer Psal 65.2 Psal 66.18 19 20. and brought us to the light of this day blessed be thy great and glorious Name thou mightest O Lord in thy Justice have consumed us by Fire to ashes Exod. 12.29 30. and made our Beds our Graves One or more of us might have been stricken with some terrible tormenting Sickness we might have been found dead in our Beds as many have been many other miseries might have befallen us But in thy great mercy thou hast spared us Lam. 3.22 23. and renewed thy mercies to us this Morning What shall we render to thy heavenly Majesty for thy Favours And now we dare not adventure into the World without intreating thy Protection and Blessing in and upon our just and lawful Endeavours We confess O Lord we are not worthy the least of all thy mercies Genesis 32.10 and thy loving-kindnesses which from time to time thou hast shewed to thy Servants We acknowledge we have not been sensible of that original corruption of our depraved Natures Eph. 2.1 2 3. and our proneness to Sin drawn from our first Parents corrupted by their lamentable Fall Genesis 3.6 7. Genesis 6.5 nor have we humbled our selves in sence of this our misery as we should have done we have not kept our Hearts with all diligence out of which are the issues of death Prov. 4.23 But our Hearts have followed our Eyes beholding Vanity Jer. 4.14 Psal 141.3 and vain thoughts have too long lodged within us We have not set a watch O Lord before our Lips and kept the doors of our Mouths but many idle unprofitable sinful words for which we must answer at the Day of Judgment have been uttered by us to thy dishonour Mat. 12.36 and evil example of others yea Eph. 4.4 29 30. too many times corrupt Communications to the grief of thy holy Spirit Psal 39.1 Psal 119.67 We have not taken heed to our Feet to walk in the right wayes of thee O Lord but gone aside from the Pathes of thy Commandements and so have been guilty of many actual transgressions both in thought word and deed breaking thy most righteous Lawes We have failed in the Duties of our several particular Relations as Husband to Wife and Wife to Husband Parents to Children and Children to Parents Masters or Dames to Servants and Servants to them not performing our Duties in the fear of God as we ought to have done We have not walked as becometh Christians towards others nor done as we would they should do to us according to that Golden Rule of our blessed Saviour Mat. 7.12 Phil. 1.27 So that by our good Conversation as becometh the Gospel of Christ others might have been stirred up to glorifie thee our heavenly Father Mat. 5.16 So that if thou shouldest enter into judgment with us O Lord Psal 143.2 how can we be justified by any our own righteousness in thy presence Phil. 3.9 10. O then behold us we humbly beseech thee in the face of thy Son Jesus Christ as washed clean by his Blood and accepted by his Merits Mat 3.17 He it is in whom thou art well pleased Acts 5.31 and him thou hast exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance to Israel and remission of Sins Psal 19.12 Oh give us true Repentance for all the Errours of our Lives past for Christ's sake and grant that being delivered out of the hands of all our Enemies Luke 1.74 75. we may serve thee without fear of them in righteousness and true holiness all the days of our lives Bless with us we pray thee all our Friends Psal 35.11 12 13 14. Mat. 5.11 and change the Hearts of our Enemies make them our Friends if it be thy will be gracious to our Children and Servants make our Children thy Children our Servants thy Servants Isa 41.8 and our Friends thy Friends Lev. 19.17 Let us reprove we pray thee and not give evil example Eph. 5.11 nor suffer our Children or Servants to be prophane Swearers or Cursers Lyars Drunkards or unjust Joh. 13.15 Psal 101.6 7. But grant that we may be good examples and that they may be faithful in the Land such as thy servant David would have make them religious like faithful Abraham's servant praying when they are sent about our occasions Lord send me good speed this day Genesis 24.12 that we and they may be blessed Bless with us thy universal Church scattered thorough out the whole World Be gracious we pray thee to the Nations of England Scotland and Ireland poure down thy blessings upon the Kings most excellent Majesty with his Royal Consort the Queen and all the Royal Family preserve Him and Them from all His 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Their and our Enemies Bless all the honourable Nobility the Reverend faithful Ministers of the Gospel in their several places with all the Magistrates Gentry and Commons of the Land and inable us thy humble servants rightly and justly to do our Duty to all our Superiours 1 Pet. 2.17 Inferiours and Equals and to this end increase we most humble intreat thy Majesty all necessary Graces in all our souls Give us we beseech thee a daily supply and increase of Divine Knowledge and heavenly Wisdome Lord increase our Faith Luk. 17.5 and give us such a Faith as purifieth the Heart Acts 15.9 and worketh by Loves Give us true Conversion from all our sins Gal. 5.6 2 Cor. 7.10 and Repentance to Salvation not to be
come unto thee O heavenly Father most humbly beseeching thee to embrace us in the everlasting Armes of thy Mercy Deut. 33.27 and to take us with all ours and all thine into thy holy Protection this Night Give us that comfortable sleep and quiet rest in our Beds Psalm 4.8 that we being refreshed by thy goodness may be better inabled to do thee faithful service in our several Places Vocations and Callings if it please thee to continue and preserve our Lives and Healths the next day to our comforts and the glory of thy Name O our most blessed God we beseech thee preserve with us thy Catholick Church all over the World especially that part of thy Church in these Nations Keep from all dangers we humble pray thee our most gracious King Ezra 6.10 give him a long life to thy glory Blesse his Royal Queen and the whole Royal Family and preserve we beseech thee all the honourable Nobility the Reverend and faithful Ministery in their several places the righteous Judges and Magistrates with all the Gentry and Commons of the Land Give all Wisdome and Power to honour thy Majesty in their Places and Orders in which thou hast set them to do thee service Bless we pray thee the several Cities Towns and Countries in the Kingdome keep them and us out of the hand of all our Enemies That under his Sacred Majesty we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Be gracious unto all thy Faithful Servants under any manner of affliction by Sea or by Land at Liberty or in Restraint in Poverty or in Riches in Sickness or in Health especially any that are known to us or who have desired our Prayers Eph. 6 18 19. sanctifie thy afflicting Hand unto them that they may receive the peaceable fruit of Righteousnesse when they are sufficiently exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 and in every temptation strengthen them to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 and in due time make a way for them to escape Prepare us all for those eternal Habitations those blessed Mansions which Christ our Saviour hath prepared for us in Heaven John 14.12 Grant O Lord of glory Eph. 1.17 that we may be so prepared like wise Virgins Mat. 25.1 2 c. with Oyl in our Lamps that whensoever the Lord Jesus our heavenly Bride-Groom with his glorious Angels shall come to Judgment at Midnight Mat. 25.6 at Cock-Crowing or in the Dawning we may be admitted to enter in with him in to that blessed heavenly Kingdome of eternal happiness Thus by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving we have made our Request known unto thee our heavenly and most gratious Father O let the peace of God Phil. 4.6 7. which passeth all understanding keep our Hearts and Minds in the knowledge and love of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To whom with thy heavenly Majesty and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed all Glory and Honour Might Soveraignty and Dominion Victory and Salvation this night and for evermore Amen Prov. 19.14 House and Riches are the Inheritance of Fathers but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Therefore I desire the Husband that he will pray to the Lord to bestow amongst other Graces this Grace of heavenly prudence upon his wife and increase it in them both that they may be happy Again I desire that both Husband and Wife will be careful to remember and practice by the Grace of Christ that Counsel of that great Apostle St. Peter 1 Pet. 3.7 Husbands dwell with your Wives according to knowledge giving honour to the Wife as unto the weaker Vessel and as being Heirs together of the grace of Life that your prayers be not hindred Your mutual prayers one for another for a virtuous wife will be a Helper to her Husband Gen. 2.18 and will do him good by her prayers as well as otherwise and not evil all the days of her life as wise King Solomon witnesseth Pro. 31.12 A special Closet or secret Prayer of a Husband for himself and his Wife and Children and Family that God will be pleased to inable them to perform their mutual Duties to each other in the fear of God and by God's blessing live lovingly together during their lives to be prayed together or asunder O Most blessed and gracious good God 1 Tim. 1.11 my most merciful and loving Father in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 6.14 15 16. Gen. 1.1 2. who in thy appointed time didst make the Heaven and Earth Psal 136.5 6. and Creatures in the World and in a special manner create our first Parents Adam and Eve after thy own likeness in Righteousness and true Holiness Gen. 1.27 and in the time of their innocency didst Marry them together Gen. 2.20 21 22 23 24. and institute the holy estate of Marriage which is a mystical representation of that spiritual Marriage and Union between Christ and his Church Hosea 2.19 20. Eph. 5.32 thou O our heavenly Father in thy Divine Wisdom and gracious Providence hast been pleased to bring me thy unworthy servant and my beloved wife into this high and honourable estate I confess O Lord I am now fully enformed that there are many duties required by thy holy Word incumbent upon me at a Husband John 15. â— and upon her as a Wife which by our own strength we are not able to performe as we ought 2 Cor. 3.5 that thy Divine Majesty might have the glory and we thy unworthy servants may have the joy and comfort in our married estate and although we are taught out of thy Word that in Christ our blessed Saviour there is both Wisdom and strength and grace Col. 2.3 Phil. 4.13 to be communicated to thy servants for the performance of every duty in any condition and that Christ our Redeemer hath promised That if we seek we shall find if we knock it shall be opened unto us James 1.5 6. James 5.16 John 16.23 If we pray with Faith and Fervency and in his Name our Petitions shall be granted Yet I thy humble servant confess for my part that I have not knocked at Heaven doors for wisdom and strength for myself and my wife that we might be inabled rightly and in the fear of God and in true love to perform our mutual duties to each other as becometh thy Children And I fear my dear wife hath failed in like manner Isaiah 63.15 16. Isaiah 64.5 6 7 8 9 10. at least that we have not sought this grace of thee O heavenly Father with that sight and sence of our own weakness And of that need of this wisdome and power and so not with that earnestness or with those fervent groans and sighs Rom. 8.26 27. or tears in our prayers nor with that wrastling like Jacob with God in Christ for this mercy as we should have done Gen. 32.24 25 26. Hosea 12.3
yea and many times at least too often and upon light occasions when we should be amiable kind and loving to each other 2 Tim. 3.6 Pro. 11.20 Eph. 4.31 32. with content and quietness and without thy special Grace we cannot bridle these unruly Distempers of our spirits It is in great danger 〈◊〉 12.3 we did think better of our selves and of each other in our Choice then we find by proof to have fallen out since our Marriage-union it is well if we had right grounds of our Love to each other and that it was not rather for by-respects then for the true ends of marriage namely that we might be true and meet Helpers one to another for this and a better life Gen. 2.20 O Lord I thy most humble Servant most earnestly beg pardon Isa 55.7 if either of us failed in any of these respects as I fear we did Now yet there is mercy O Lord in thy Christ to encourage us boldly to come to thy Throne of Grace And therefore now O Father let the bowels of thy mercy be moved towards us Isa 63.15 and give us those necessary Graces by which we may be inabled to walk towards thee our God and one towards an other as becomes the honourable estate of marriage I bless thy most holy Name O Lord that thou hast kept and preserved thy Servant and I am well assured my dear Husband from those dreadful Vices which do so highly dishonour this honourable estate Gen. 20.6 In whatsoever we have failed give pardon unto us I most humbly intreat thee O Father in Christ our blessed Advocate 1 Joh. 2.1 2. and heal our Natures that we may henceforth truly evidence our sincere love one to another and keep I beseech thee that rash impatient unadvised immoderate anger nor any other distemper may prove a root of bitterness sprung up between us Eph. 4.26 Let not the Sun go down upon any such wrath but that we may sleep quietly and lovingly together And preserve me I beseech thee with thy Grace that I may not by any unadvised words or deeds provoke my Husband to do that which may prove sorrow discomfort and disprofit to us both But give me wisdome at all times when any thing is said 1 Sam. 25.25 26 27 to 38. done or doing contrary to the Rules of Love between Husband and Wife that I may endeavour by all fair means in love and by sweet allurements or perswasions to prevent any evil or further him in any good work whatsoever And I beseech thee my God make me wise as Abigail to know how and when to speak to him for thy Glory and the mutual good of us and all ours enable me to give him that reverence and honour which is due to him Eph. 5.33 as my Lord and Husband and give to him that gracious affection towards me that he may give me that loving respect and honour which is due to me as the weaker Vessel 1 Pet. 3.7 that he may dwell with me as a man of knowledge and we may live together as Heirs of the Grace of Life that our Prayers be not hindred Give him O Lord wisdome with thy blessing and a faithful provident endeavour to provide for his own Rom 12.17 for them of his own house as a Husband and a Christian ought to do 1 Tim. 5.8 And grant to me wisdome and grace to look well to the wayes of my Houshold that I may do my Husband good and not hurt all the dayes of my life Prov. 31.12 27. Bless O Lord the Children and the Family which thou hast or shalt of thy goodness bestow upon us Let our Children be as perpetual Pledges of Love between us make them thy Children I most humbly pray thee Lord inable us with care and conscience to be provident for the pious and virtuous Education of our Children Prov. 31.28 according to our Estate and Callings that they may rise up and call us blessed I beseech thee blesse our Estate that we may provide for them a comfortable Living in some honourable or honest Callings while we live and when thou shalt take us from them take them for thy Children and give them in thy due time that Inheritance in which they shall be blessed and happy for ever And put thy holy fear into the Hearts of our Servants that they may first serve thee faithfully and then they will serve us honestly and justly all the time of their habitation with us Be gracious to thy beloved Children all over the Earth Isa 63.9 comfort the afflicted Members of Jesus Christ wheresoever or howsoever distressed amidst the Kingdomes of the World Isa 12.13 exalt the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Bless our most gracious King the Queens Majesty the Royal Family with all the Estates and Orders of Men in Church and Common-wealth preserve the Gospel of Peace Eph. 6.15 and the Peace of the Gospel in these Nations until Christ come to Judgment if it be thy blessed will Remember in mercy all our Relations and especially all such who ever have desired or deserved our Prayers Prepare us all for Eternity for Christ's sake in whose name I thy unworthy Mandmaid beg these and all needful Mercies in that Prayer which our blessed Saviour gave his Disciples Our Father which art in Heaven c. BEloved if any Man or Womans Devotion be so strict as to think these Prayers too long let them search if any thing be begged of God which neither they nor any they ought to pray for want they may pass over that Petition And if there want any Petition for any particular thing not prayed for they may add that Petition if they please according to their present occasions The Lord hear and give a blessing All glory be to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost now and for ever Amen So prayers your Servant in Christ Immanuel Bourne FINIS