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
disgraces IT is iust with thee O Lord and I haue iustly deserued that thou shouldest send me some wants and small disgraces after thou hast giuen me prosperitie plenty and sufficiencie when not vsing thy blessings well and neglecting the meanes thou hast affoorded for my maintainance I am faln from that I had which was sufficient to want some things for my necessary vse And yet my wants are not so great as my sinnes are or as they haue deserued Since then howsoeuer my estate or my estimation is in this world I do beseech thee graunt me patience to beare this or whatsoeuer crosse it pleaseth thee to lay vpon mee and to acknowledge that I my selfe am the cause of it And so when thou hast brought me home vnto thy self by the acknowledgement of my selfe and of my sinnes comfort me againe according to thy eternall wisedome that I bee neyther dismaide with aduersitie or puffed vp with prosperity but if it be thy good pleasure that pouerty shall still pursue mee prepare me with patience to beare this crosse though hard for flesh and blood yet once obtaining the victorie by thy sole strength ouer this inward enemy my infirmities sticking closest vnto me I may possesse my soul in peace and whatsoeuer becomes of my worldly estate the spiritual state of my soul may be safe I saued thorow thy abundant mercies Amen A Prayer in time of sicknesse MOst gracious Father we confesse and wee are driuen to confesse wee haue deserued plagues pestilence and other sicknesses whereto we are subiect of our selues aswell by the naturall infection of our bodies whereby one taketh contagion from another as by our spirituall pollutions whereby our sinnes being the inward festring sores doe ascend vnto the Tribunall in heauen calling and crying for vengeance on the earth on the sonnes of men the inhabitants and Rulers of the earth The effects of this good Lord we haue often and visibly seene though wee doe not well consider the cause Wee feele the stroke but do not see the hand that strikes neither do we well weigh what moues that hand to bee stretched out agaynst vs. Now the sicknesse thou hast sent vs makes vs to looke somewhat about vs and to feel that which our flesh can easily find paine anguish aches torments comming from the body to the mind But O Lord we are not so sensible of that which concernes the sicknesse of the soule Yet in this time of our visitation whilest paine and perill doth oppresse vs teach vs to take this as an information of our infirmities heale vs good Lord inwardly in the diseases of our soules and keepe vs from those corruptions of our naturall affections which draws vs vnto fond desires with false and foolish appetites the procurers of these our bodily diseases O Lord yet cleanse vs within from our sins and then we shal be cured from our corporall sicknes but if it be thy blessed will to continue this Contagion yet comfort and support vs during the time of sicknesse Make thou good Lord our beddes and bodies such as may make vs able to vndergo our sickenesse comfort vs with the inward consolation of thy holy Spirit when cold heat coniunction or succession of either comes then O Lord in the time of extremity whilest Naâ—uâ—e is distempred our bodiâ—s disâ—ased our minds distracted betwixt feare of death danger of our estate care of our children friends kindrâ—d and family wee may yâ—t receyue a sweet repose from the influence of thy holy Spirit to rest content with thy good will and pleasure with a reference and relying on the same for resolution of life or of death So may wee by thy assistance say still and peaceably vnto thee in the sincerity of our owne soules We are heere now good Lord at thy disposing do with vs what thou wilt Only make vs able to bear our owne infirmities and thy visitations with faith help vs in the time of this weaâ—nesse and danger of this disease if thou giue life graunt amendment of life If thou appoint death grant vs preparation for our dissolution Repentance for our sinnes and a ioyfull assurance of thy mercies the bodie is weake the flesh tremâ—les the Spirit is troubled O thou the giuer of life and the disposer of death wheÌ„ sense is dull or distracted infuse thy Spirit to temper it and to turne vs vnto thee dispose our harts so that whither life or death do come they may bee alike welcome vnto vs and we may entertaine either according to thy good wil and pleasure Arme vs against the feare of death if life be graunted graunt wee may leade a new life setting forth thy glory If death be designed let the period of this life bee finished in thy praises lift vp our hearts at the last gaspe And now at this instant plant in my heart faith to beleeue in thy sauing health feruencie to pray for it courage to endure the conflicts of sickenesse and of sinne and in the end a blessed death and a ioyfull resurrection thorow Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A prayer for knowledge THou O great and gracious God who art the light of our liues and the Conseruer of all sauing knowledge enlighten our vnderstanding with the true knowledge of thee of our selues and of the wayes wherein we should walke And although we can neuer in this world knowe thee as thou art being inuisible infinit in goodnesse and in greatnes yet giue vs such and so much knowledge of thee as our capacities can comprehend and thy will is to reueale Let vs attaine to so much knowledge as to see thy wonders in thy works and thy good pleasure reuealed in thy word if that which thou hast not reuealed of thy selfe let vs bee satisfied with what thou hast reuealed in thy word Of the first let our naturall inquisition of thy supernaturall power weaken or preiudice our faith And in that knowledge which thy word deliuereth let vs not be content with a weake and meane measure but couet to come vnto that knowledg which may strengthen our faith informe our consciences and reforme our liues In the knowledge of our selues teach vs to consider and know our owne weaknesse and wickednesse our frailtie and manifold infirmities our sinnes and transgressions against thy holy and heauenly Maiesty For the knowledge of our owne wayes grant vs warinesse and watchfulnes to see and finde out our faylings in the keeping of thy Commandements our feare plainly to professe thy truth thorow doubt of danger scoffe or losse the smal account we make of thy good things wee leaue vndone or do amis of the euill wee haue committed And when good Lord thou hast rightly instructed vs in the knowledg of thee by thy works and word of our selues in finding and confessing our sinnes and of our owne wayes by acknowledging them to be wandering by-paths then bring vs home vnto thee to pray vnto thee and praise thee in this life
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
is most profitable for vs as well for the fulfilling of Gods heauenly will as for the accomplishing of our owne godly desires And also if wee see so many comfortable plaine patternes of the great safety and saluation that hath come doth daily grow vnto the seruants of God by hearty faithfull praiers vnto him then haue we no cause to doubt the profit of prayer or to deferre the doing of it with our best deuotion And lastly if wee looke into the plaine and effectuall promises of our All-powerfull God for the performance of that which we do effectually pray for then there shal be no need of more perswasion of the inestimable benefit which powerfull prayer doth bring with it neither shal there bee any necessity or motiue to follow frequeÌ„t the same but willing minds directed and assisted by heauenly grace to bee often conuersant in this most holy and heauenly exercise of zealous prayer which is so profitable vnto man so acceptable and sweet a sacrifice vnto the Creator of mankind CAP. IV. Of the manner of Prayer HAuing as we hope shewed what praier is and proued the necessity and profit thereof next comes to be considered the manner of it consisting in three things that is the time place and words to bee vsed in prayer First for the time of prayer it ought not alwaies to bee limited how often or how long wee should pray but as often as conueniently wee can and as long as our faith without fainting or time without distraction will giue leaue Neither are the prescribed rules of the Romish Church in this behalfe so profitable or so tollerable as to obserue Mattin at such houres to say so many Creeds so many Aue maries so many Pater Nosters and to recite the name of Iesus or the like so many times or to vse such and such prayers vppon such Beades vnto such Saints for such men soules As though God would haue mens deuotions practised more according to the obseruation of those prescribed rules and times then at any other time or in any other manner or as if you were bound to heare them more in these regulated rehearsals then in any other sort when they shall be deuoted to offer vp the lncense of Prayer Thanksgiuing being sti◠〈…〉 therto by the inwarâ— good motion of zeale and deuotion which ought to be in vs at all times as well as at any time certaine But if the mind be not at al times well prepared to Prayer yet as often as we may find time and meanes we must endeuour to bee exercised therein without ouer striâ—t obseruation of times limited other then at such times as we are called therto by a generall assembly of the Church and Congregation wherein we liue 2 Likewise for the place of Prayer it cannot be alwayes restrained nor appointed no more then the time can be alwayes limited For although the Churcheâ— where the congregation of the faithfull are or ought to bee assembled bee the fittest placeâ— for Prayers yet it ought not to be lonely there but also elsewhere because men cannot be alwaiâ—s or most commonly in the Church And if thâ—y may not bee there yet euerie faithfull mans he attriâ—â—â—â— time of prayer is the temple of God Whether therfore hee bee alone or in company or to what place soeuer he bee his faithfull prayers shall be heard and he is bound to pray as Christ went alone in the Mountaine to pray David prayed in his house toppe Ionas in the Whales belly Daniel in the Lyons den Peter in the pris◠〈…〉 the child 〈◊〉 so Goâ—â— might 〈◊〉 pray in all places where they come and as they caâ—â— whether it bee in the Church in the house in the fields in the war and in time of peace at home and abroad 3. Lastly for the words that shall be vsed in prayer it is a matter worthy of consideration whithâ—â— they ought alwayes to bee set downe ceâ—taineâ— eyther in writing or in the memory before we come vnto prayer Or whether they must be alwayes left vnâ—â— euery mâ—ns meditation present deliuery as occasion and his inuention shall serue him or as the Spirit of God shall direct him wherein as they do affirm that prayers ought alwaies to be set downe in certaine words may not haue allowance of their opinions so on the other side such as auerre that the forme of prayer shold be at no time certaine nor set downe in writing or in the memory must not be beleeued nor their assertions allowed as true and infallible For the first sort which say that one forme of praier in the selfesame words is alwayes to be vsed they tye Gods guifts and graceâ— which are in euery man in some measure or other ther more or lesse vnto prescription and to formal obseruation which most commonly begetteth cold affection in prayer For when a mans deuotion and all his meditation are tyed vnto certaine and vsuall words there familiaritie of vttering one thing often taketh away the feeling of that which is vttered so that it becommeth â—â—it â—ip-labour and loseth the feruent zeal of an inward deuotion which doeth best please God in prayer and without the fâ—â—uency praier is of none effect Then touching their opinions who affirme that there should bee no set forme of prayer at any time or in any place they do asmuch erre as the former which follow tradition and prescription onely in prayer For in Churches in Congregations and in Assemblyes where publike Prayer is vsed and where manie doe frequent to pray together there no doubt that a form of prayer is very profitable both for vnity and vniuersall framing of mens mindes and inward affections in one sence in one saying and at one time to lift vp both hands harts vnto God which is the sweetest harmony that can bee on earth And more then that it is the heauenly harmony that transporteth our bodies our minds and our soules from earth vnto heauen But as this vnity and setled forme of prayer is most profitable and needefull in the publike assemblies so in priuate prayers and inuocations ought no man to bee forbidden the vse of his secret and seuerall Meditations according as God shal giue him grace and abilitie to praise him and to pray vnto him For although it be not euery mans guift to deliuer in apt wordes the secret and particular desires of his soule in praiers vnto God yet there is no doubt but the man of meanest conceite and vnderstanding hauing a desire to performe his duty in this seruice of God shall finde by exercise and practise heerein his minde more apt This sences more sharp and his words more ready with daily and continuall vse of prayer Therefore as euerie man ought not in publicke places of prayer to follow his owne forme and separate himselfe in prayer from the Congregation so in priuate prayer no man ought to bee forbidden that forme of prayer which his faith and
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