afflicted and needy Supply all my wants and confer upon me all necessary blessings O be reconciled unto me in the blood of thy Son that I may â—ere depend upon thy fatherly protection and may hereafter be received into thy heavenly Kingdom there to reign with thee world without end through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour in whose blessed name and words I conclude my imperfect Prayers saying as he himself hath taught me Our Father c. The Prayer of a Marriner MOst glorious and eternal God whose power and wisdome is infinite and whose dominion is without end thou canst order and dispose of thy poor creatures to thy own praise and to their souls comfort Be pleased to look down from heaven the habitation of thy dwelling place and take notice of the broken requests of a poor worm in thy presence that is not worthy to take thy name into his lips Lord I may well say What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldst visit him that thou shouldst compass him about with loving kindness as with a garment The divine Architecture of this goodly fabrick of heaven and earth raysed out of nothing to this admirable perfection is beyond the apprehension of poor sinful dust and ashes but to behold thy glorious works upon the deep waters is much more admirable these declare thy glorious power O blessed Lord vouchsafe thy presence with a poor sinful creature in this undertaking that I may praise thee in the vast Ocean be a preserve from the danger of the Sea and prosper what is lawfully undertaken but especially preserve me from the danger of sin Oh let the gales of thy gracious spirit blow my soul at last to its desired harbour Oh thou that carriest the winds in thy fist so take care of me that the waves of the sea or of worldly desires may not swallow me up and return me home in safety that I may bless the land of the living and in the congregation of thy people and all this and whatsoever else is needful I aske for the sake of Jesus Christ my Lord to whom with the holy Spirit of grace be glory and honour now and ever Ameâ— The Thanksgiving of a Mariner after a prosperous voyage EVerlasting God the powerful preserver of men there are no bounds to be set to thy bounty for besides the great work of thy Creation thy continued Preservations and wonderful works of Providence declare thee to be a God of mighty power so also of wisdom goodness justice and truth oh never to be enough magnified is thy mercy for the continuance of thy favours thou never leavest nor forsakest those that put their trust in thee Oh holy Lord what shall I render unto thee that so aboundest in love and mercy in the deep the Lord hath been seen and every morning thou preventest me with thy loving kindness and though sin hath abounded yet thy grace hath superabounded Thou dost fulfil the desires of them that fear thee oh now as thou hast given me a new life and delivered me from the dangers and terrors of the deep waters so be graciously pleased to give me a thankful heart let there be found in me hungring and thirsting after righteousness that I may be brought home at last to that land of promised blessedness Good Lord do this and what else thou seest needful for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake our Lord in whose most holy name and words I further pray Our Father c. A Prayer to be used by all Christians O Almighty everlasting God and most gracious and dear loving Father I beseech thee for Jesus Christ his sake thy most dear and only Son to have mercy pitty and compassion upon a most vile wretched and miserable sinner whose innumerable offâ—nces both old and new are grievous and great by which I have justly deserved thy grievous wrath and everlasting damnation But now good Lord I do only appeal to thy great mercy which far surmounteth all thy works and thou hast promised in thy holy Word yea and sworn as truly as thou livest that thou desirest not the death of a sinner but ratheâ— that he should repent and live O gracious Lord I do confess that I am a great and grievous Sinner yet O Lord let me not perish nor suffer that everlasting death of my Soul which I have so deeply deserved but make me a vessel of thy great mercy that I may live and praise thy name amongst thy chosen Children for ever O let not my great sins separate me from the sight of thy holy Majesty but let thy great power and mercy be magnified in me as it was in David and Peter and Mary Magdalen and the Thief upon the cross O Lord I put my whole trust and confidence in thee who hast taken away the sins of the World who camest not to condemn the World but to save it that none which truly believe in thee should perish but should have everlasting life who camest noâ— to call the righteous but sinners to repentance O gracious God give me true hearty earnest and unseigned repentance that I may from the very bottom of my heart continually lament my manifold sins and wickednesses and so assist me with thy grace that I may never trespass against thy divine Majesty any more but that I may gladly serve thee in true holiness and righteousness all the days of my life Guide me O Lord by thy holy Spirit in all my ways works words and thoughts that I may gloriâ—y thy holy name which livest and reignest for ever through Jesus Christ my blessed Lord and Saviour in whose name and words I further pray Our Father c. A Prayer of a sick person FAithful Creator and preserver of all men look down I beseech thee upon thy poor servant who is punisht and afflicted in body with the smart of my pain and sickness and who is also troubled with the fear of thy heavy displeasuâ—e for my many sins and iniquities wherewith I have provoked thy holy Majesty in the time of my health I confess that of very faithfulness and goodness to me thou hast laid this scourge upon me to the end that by the stripes of my fleâ—h my spirit might be healed and saved in the day of the Lord Jesus I valued not the benefit of health as I should have done and therefore thou hast made me sensible of it by the want of it in my prosperity I remembred not the afflictions of my brethren and therefore thou hast afflicted me like unto them I was in a kind of spiritual lethargy till thou didst awake me with the strâ—â—ke of thy hand and because I know that it is good for me to be thus disciplined by thee I humble my self under thy mighty hand kiss this thy rod which I trust through thy grace shall make my Soul appear fair beautiful in thine eyes Comfort O Lord my fainting spirit and strengthen my
graces in that short and absolute form of Prayer which he hath taught us Our Father c. A Prayer for Thursday-Morning BLessed and glorious Lord God thy mercys are infinite and thy long-suffering and patieâ—ce is exceeding great else had not I a poor wreched miserable sinner been spared so long considering my many provocations against thee in thought word and deed but thou hast exalted thy mercy above all thy works and of thine infinit goodness hast preserved me this night and hast given me the light of this day Lead me I beseech thee O Lord and guide me this day in the way of all truth and righteousness and so govern all my actions that I may not run into any Sin or any kind of danger but that all may Actions may tend to thy glory and the discharge of my duty in my life and Conversation defend and deliver me also from all temptations and afflictions in this sinful world and from all mine Enemies and from all the deceits and dangers of Satan the deadly Enemy of Mankind Kindle in my heart and affections a fervent Zeal to do thy will and let me imbrace thy holy word and walk in thy wayes strengthen me with thy holy Spirit boldly and constantly to profess the honour and service of thy great name O Lord strengthen my weak faith Kindle it more and more in fervency and love to reward thee and in all Christian love towards my Neigbours Give me a contented mind with my estate and all other blessings which thou O Lord God of thy bountiful goodness in mercy hast bestowed upon me that I may use them soberly and discreetly and be truly thankful to thee for them keep my wandring will and affections from all evil thoughts my tongue from profane and lewd Speeches my body and every part thereof from all sinful Actions and outward violence let all my love my hope my delight and confidence be only upon thee And grant that I may lead my whole life and conversation so that I may live in the fear of thy holy and blessed name and may die in thy favour that I may also rise again to live for ever and ever with my Lord Jesus In whose Name and Words I further pray Our Father c. A Prayer for Thursday-Evening O Heavenly Father the giver of all good things and the Protector of all those that love thee I yield thee most humble and hearty thanks not only for keeping and preserving me this day but also all my life that neither my Enemies have prevailed against me as they might nor any other danger which in this world is incident to Mankind hath overcome me but that thou as a loving father and careful purveyor hast given unto me and provided for me all things necessary for which thine inestimable love I cannot suffiently praise thee O Lord forgive me mine offences which this day I have committed and done against thy most holy Majesty pardon them O God for Jesus Christ his sake and vouchsafe me thy grace to amend my life and to return unfeignedly unto thee in serving of thee And since I cannot have a being without thy continual Protection be pleased to extend the same toward me a wretched poor creature this night that I may quietly take my rest which thou hast appointed for the refreshing of my weak and wearied body I beseech thee O Lord to guard me and defend me that nothing hurt me preserve me by the watching of thy holy Angel that I may take my rest with thee until the morning and that I may then give my self to the fulfilling of my duty and the discharge of my calling and the doing of thy will unto my lives end Here me I beseech thee for these things and for all things necessary for me and for all others whom thou hast commanded me to pray for even for all such as are in any kind of Affliction in body or mind O Lord Strengthen them and bless them and me and keep me and mine this Night and for Evermore All these Petitions I humbly beg of thy Majesty in and through thy Son Jesus Christ in whose Blessed Name and Words I further Pray Our Father c. A Prayer for Friday Morning HOly and most Gracious Lord God who art full of loving Kindness and Mercy and art a continual Defence to all that trust in thee whether they wake or sleep I a poor unworthy Sinner render unto thee humble and hearty thanks that it hath pleased thy Great Goodness to keep and preserve me the Night past as well from all my Enemies as from all other casualties and dangers that poor mortal Creatures are subject unto and that thou hast given me sweet and pleasant sleep that I find my Body refreshed and comforted for performing the Duties of this Day O Lord I beseech thee show thy goodness to me this Day in preserving my Body and Soul that no evil may overtake me and that I may neither speak nor do any thing that may be displeasing to thy Fatherly Goodness nor dangerous to my Soul nor hurtful to my Neighbour but that all my enterprises may be agreeable to thy most blessed Will by doing always that which may advance thy Glory and be sutable to my calling that whensoever thou shalt be pleased to call me from this Vale of Misery I may be found a Child of Light and not of darkness and so may for ever Reign with thee in Glory who art the True and Everlasting Light whose Kingdome is an Everlasting Kingdom whose Joyes and Glories are such as Eye hath not seen neither hath Ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart of Man to conceive what it is To this Blessed Place O Lord doe thou at last bring me through Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all Honour Glory Power and Praise for Ever and for Evermore Amen Our Father c. A Prayer for Friday Evening GRacious Lord and heavenly Father I cannot cease but I must cry unto thee for mercy because my sins cry against me for Justice how shall I address my self unto thee but with the Publican I must stand and admire thy goodness toward me considering thy tender mercy and long patience toward me in that thou hast kept me this day past from being consumed and brought to naught for Lord what is man or the son of man that thou regardest him for the more days past over my head the more sins and iniquities I heap up against thee if I should cast up the Accounts of my good deeds this day O Lord how few and how small would they be but if I should reckon up my miscarriages this day surely they would amount to many and great O blessed Father let thy sons blood wash me and cleanse me from all my impurities and from all the stains of sin that are upon me give me grace to lay fast hold upon his merites that it may be my Reconcilation and Attonement unto thee
that I may assure my self that my sins are forgiven by his death and passion And now O Lord I beseech thee to imbrace me in the Armes of thy mercy vouchsafe to receive me into the bosom of thy love shadow me with thy wings that I may safely take my rest in thee this night in the Name of thy Son Jesus Christ in whom I refer my self wholly to thy protection beseeching thee that when this life shall end my last sleep being come I may take my everlasting rest with thee in thy heavenly Kingdome for the glory of thy holy Name and to my eternal comfort through the merits of thy dearly beloved Son my Lord and only Saviour in whose perfect form of Prayer I conclude my imperfect Petitions saying Our Father c. A Prayer for Saturday Morning O Merciful Father for Jesus Christ his sake I beseech thee forgive me all my known and secret sins which in Thought Word or Deed I have committed against thy Divine Majesty and deliver me from all those Judgments which are due unto me for them and sanctifie my heart with thy Holy Spirit that I may henceforth lead a more Godly and Religious life And here O Lord I praise thy Holy Name for that thou hast refreshed me this Night with moderate sleep and rest And I beseech theee to defend me this day from all Perils and dangers of Body and Soul and to this end I commend my self and all my actions unto thy blessed protection and government beseeching thee that whether I live or die I may live and die to thy Glory and the Salvation of my poor Soul which thou hast bought with thy precious Blood Blesse me O Lord in my going out and comming in and grant that whatsoever I shall think speak or take in hand this day may tend to the glory of thy Name the good of others and the comfort of my own Conscience when I shall come to make up my last accounts before thee O my God help thy servant that I do no evil to any man this day and let it be thy blessed will not to suffer the Devil nor any of his wicked Angels nor any of his evil Members to have power to do me any hurt or violence but let the eye of thy holy providence watch over me for good and not for evil and command thy holy Angels to pitch their Tents round about me for my defence and Safety in my going out and coming in as thou hast promised they shall do about them that fear thy name Grant this O heavenly Father for Jesus Christ thy sons sake in whose blessed name I give thee glory and beg at thy hands all other graces which thou seest to be needful for me this day and ever in that prayer which Christ himself hath taught me saying Our Father c. A Prayer for Saturday-Evening O Most gracious God and loving Father who are about my Bed and knowest my down-lying and mine up-rising and art near unto all that call upon thee in truth and sincerity I wretched sinner do beseech thee to look upon me with the Eyes of thy Mercy Father I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit work in me such a serious Repentance as that I may with Tears lament my sins past with grief of heart be humbled for my sins present and with all my endeavour resist the fame sins for the time to come And now O Lord I Bless thee for my Health Food Rayment and Prosperity and more especially that thou hast defended me this day now past from all dangers and Perils both of Body and Soul furnishing me with all necessary good things that I stand in need of and as thou hast ordained the Day for man to Travel in and the Night for him to take his rest so I beseech thee sanctifie unto me this Nights rest and sleep that I may enjoy the same as thy sweet blessing and benefit that so this dull and wearied body of mine being refreshed with moderate sleep and rest I may be the better enabled to walk before thee doing all such good works as thou hast appointed when it shall Please thee of thy Divine goodness to waken me the next Morning More especially I beseech thee to prepare me for thy Service to Morrow it is thine Holy day O Lord prepare me for the Sanctifying of the same that I may not spend it in my own Lusts and pleasures but that my chief delight may be to Consecrate it to thy Glory and Honour and that ceasing from the works of sin as well as from the works of my ordinary Calling I may through thy Blessing feel in my heart the beginning of that Eternal Sabbath which in unspeakable Joy and Glory I shall celebrate with the Saints and Angels to thy Praise and Glory in thy Heavenly Kingdom for Evermore Keep my heart O Lord in thy fear and guide all the course of my life by thy Favour and prepare me against the hour of Death and Dissolution that if thou shouldest this night make my Bed in the dark and turn my sleep into Death I may Live and Die unto thee who livest Everlastingly these Graces and all other Blessings which thou O Father knowest to be requisite and necessary for me I humbly beg and crave at thy Hands in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son in that form of Prayer which he himself hath Taught me saying Our Father c. FAMILY DEVOTIONS OR A COLLECTION OF Morning and Evening PRAYERS For Families for every day in the Week But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord Josh 25. 15. Family-Devotions A Prayer for a Family for Sunday Morning LOrd teach us to Pray that we may call upon thy Name Prepare our hearts to seek and open thou thy ears Mercifully to hear us O Eternal and Everliving Lord God Creator and continual Preserver of all things both in Heaven and in Earth by whose gracious Providence as we were at the first wonderfully and fearfully Made so we are no less preserved and kept unto this present We the Workmanship of thy own hands desire to humble both Soul and Body before thee And now O Lord we being here in thy Presence cannot but acknowledg and confess against our selves our own unworthiness to come before thee to call upon thee or to perform even the least Duty that shall concern thy Worship and Glory Our hearts alas are no better then the sink of sin and a mass of all Pollution and uncleanness Wheresore O dear God most meek and Merciful Father we poor Wretches heartily beseech thee to be Gracious unto us for Jesus Christ thy Sons sake for his Death sake for thy Promise Truth and Mercies sake have Mercy upon us Pardon us and Forgive us all our Sins Iniquities and Trespasses whatsoever we have committed against thee in thought Word or Deed Ever or at any time hitherto by any meanes Dear Father have mercy upon us though we be poor yet our
Christ is Rich though we be sinners he is Righteous though we be impure yet he is Pure and Holy for his sake therefore O Lord have mercy upon us and Write thy Law in our Hearts engrave it in our Minds we heartily beseech thee And let us this Morning of thy Holy Day wholly turn unto thee with all our Hearts Minds Thoughts Deeds and Meditations that we may joyn in Praises to thy holy Name for thy preservation of us the night past and refreshing us with sweet sleep and let us declare thy loving kindness in the Morning on thy Holy and Blessed Sabbath-Day for it is thy Will and Commandement that we should Sanctifie this thy Day unto thy Service and in Praise unto thee and offer up unto thee a morning Sacrifice of Praises and Thanksgiving and to hear what thy Spirit by the preaching of thy Word shall speak unto us thy Servants O let not our sins stand as a cloud to stop our Prayers from Ascending up unto thee or to keep back thy Grace from Descending by thy Word into our hearts that we may cease from the works of sin as well as from the works of our ordinary calling and that we may feel in our hearts the beginning of that Eternal Sabbath which brings unspeakable Joy and Glory and filling us with the Spirit of Prayer make us diligent and ready in the performance of thy will And take us O Lord into thy custody and governance for ever both our Souls and Bodies yea our Lives and all that ever we have so that our Lives may please thee and our Deaths may praise thee through Jesus Christ our Lord for whose sake we heartily Pray thee to grant these things thus asked and all other things necessary for soul and body and that not only to us but to all others also for whom thou wouldest we should pray Grant unto us all true hearty Repentance that we may turn from our evil ways that thou mayest turn from us the evils that we have so highly deserved And with us O Lord bless thy whole Church especially that part of it in these Kingdomes Be Gracious to thy servant and our Soveraign Lord King Charles Bless him in his Government and in his Royal Relations our Gracious Queen Katherine James Duke of York and all the Royal Family bless the Nobility Clergy Magistracy Gentry and the whole People of this Land be merciful to all our Kindsfolks and Families Neighbours and to all such as are any other way Related to us and we beseech thee to grant us all thy Blessings and thy holy Spirit to sanctifie us and to keep us this day and for Evermore from all Evil to thy Eternal Glory and our everlasting comfort through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour in whose Blessed Name and Words we further Pray Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Sunday Evening O Eternal God our most loving and merciful Father in Jesus Christ it is thine own commandment that we should call upon thy name and it is thy gracious and merciful promise that where two or three are gathered together in thy name there thou wilt be present among them we thy poor and unworthy servants Dust and Ashes yet the Workmanship of thine own Hand are more bold to come before thee to offer unto thee this Evening sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving O Lord we beseech thee to sanctifie unto us thy word which we have heard and read this day make it the seed of life unto our souls that it may fructifie grow and increase and get such strength by thy good providence that neither the burning heat of affliction or persecution cause it to wither but that as seed sown in good ground it may bring forth thirty sixty and a hundred fold as thy heavenly wisdom hath appointed And now O Lord being here before thee we cannot but acknowledg and confess ever from the bottom of our Hearts against our selves our own Unworthiness that we are greivous sinners Conceived in sin and born in iniquity whereof we have brought forth most vile fruits in our lives to the great dishonour of thy Name the utter dismaying of our own Consciences and the evil example of our Brethren by which we have deserved likewise thy wrath and heavy indignation to be poured upon us both in this life and that which is to come in such sort that no creature in heaven or earth is able to reconcile us again to thy Majesty but only thy Son Jesus Christ we intreat thee therefore O Lord to be merciful unto us and as we acknowledg our sins unto thee so be thou faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness wash us thorowly from our wickedness and cleanse us from our sins for we acknowledg O Lord against thee we have sinned and done evil in thy sight To thee therefore O Lord do we come to crave the pardon of our sins both â—or the guilt and punishment of the same that so they may not draw down upon us our deserved Judgment And good Lord we pray thee accept of our Thanksgiving unto thy Majesty for all thy mercies and blessings from time to time bestowed upon us for this life and for a better we praise thee for our Election Vocation Justification Sanctification continual Preservation and the assurance thou hast given us of a better Life when this is ended as also for all temporal blessings health peace and prosperity for thy goodness extended toward us for this day past that thou hast goâ— in and out before us and freed us from many dangers of soul and body and hast brought us with peace and comfort to the beginning of this night Lord Watch over us by thy Spitit and Presence give us a holy and sanctified use of our rest and sleep and fit us for the Duties of the next day especially O Lord fit us for that day which shall never give place to night And grant unto us all good things that thou in thy Wisdome knowest more expedient to give than we to ask and all we beg for Jesus Christ His sake in whose Name and Words we conclude these our imperfect Prayers saying as he hath taught us Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Munday Morning MOst Merciful and Gracious Lord God we do not present our selves here before thy Majesty trusting in our own merits or worthiness but in thy manifold Mercies which hast Promised to hear our Prayers and grant our Requests which we shall make unto thee in the Name of thy Dear Son Jesus Christ our Lord who hath also commanded us to assemble our selves together in his Name with full assurance that He will not only be amongst us but also be our Mediator and Advocate toward thy Majesty that we may obtain all things which shall seem expedient to thy blessed Will for our necessities Therefore we beseech thee most Merciful Father to turn thy loving Countenance
wilt Crown us with Life in the World to come Why shouldest thou be so careful of us since we are so careless of thee surely O Lord in that thou affordest us health to our bodyes liberty to our persons prosperity to this Family in which we live we can give no reason but because thou art Merciful The Heavens are within a Spain the Earth within a Circle the Waters within thy fist mountains upon the ballance but what number or measure or bounds can we set to thy Goodness and Mercy O God O let the Ocean of this thy Mercy be a Partition between us and our sins betwixt thee and thy Judgments who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean but thou alone who justifiest the ungodly and quickenest the dead in sin Remove therefore from us O Lord whatsoever there is in us that displeaseth thee for thine Eyes do behold our manifold imperfections send thy Hand of Mercy we pray thee upon us and take away from us whatsoever there is within us which doth offend the Eyes of thy Goodness And as thou hast in great Mercy kept us this Night past from all Perils and Dangers of the same so we beseech thee keep us this day that the Son of Righteousness may Rule in our Hearts and that all the darkness that lurketh in them may be scattered to the comfort of our souls and that we may walk in the light as thy Children without danger of stumbling Prosper O Lord our labours and the works of our hands and grant that we may grow in Grace all our days until we come to Live and Reign with thee in thy Heavenly Kingdome And together with us bless O Lord thy Church Universal comfort all that Mourn in Sion give them Beauty for Ashes and the Oyl of gladness for the Spirit of Mourning and Heaviness Bless our Gracious King defend his Person uphold his Crown maintain his Government bless our gracious Q. Katharine James Duke of York and all the Royal Family bless the Nobility Magistrates Bishops and Ministers and let thy blessing be upon all of us in this houshold guide us in our wayes and lead us into thy Truth Bless all our Friends and Kindred all that are in any Affliction or Tribulation And do for them and us whatsoever thou knowest necessary for us for the Sake of Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Redeemer in whose Name and Words we beseech the saying Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Tuesday Evening HOly and Glorious Lord God what shall we reader unto thee for all thy Benefits because thou host inclined thine Ear unto us therefore will we call upon thee as long as we live from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same let thy Name be praised among the infinite Riches of thy Mercies toward us we render thee abundant of praise and thanks for thy merciful preservation of us this day as well as all the times and days of our lives that thou hast bestowed upon us so many excellent blessings and mercys both Spiritual and corporal contrary to our deservings All these thy mercys call upon us that we should be thankful to thee for them and all our miseries call upon us that we should call upon thee for the continuance of thy mercies Cleanse our Souls therefore we beseech thee O Lord from whatsoever is offensive to thee and hurtful to us and give us what is necessary for us And now O Lord Watch over us this night give us comfortable and sweet sleep fit us for all services of the day following make our souls to watch for the comming of the Lord Jesus Christ let our beds put us in mind of our Graves and our rising from thence of our last Resurrection so that whether we wake or sleep we being thine may wait for thee O Heavenly Father so form these hearts of ours that we may ever delight to live according to thy Will and Ordinance in Holiness and Righteousness before thee all the days of our lives O Lord let us consider the time will come when the Trumpet shall and will sound the dead shall Rise and we even we all and every one of us shall assuredly stand before thy Judgment Seat with open and unfolded Consciences there to give an account of all our deeds whatsoever at which time all such as have believed in Christ and truly served thee in this life shall to their endless and unspeakable joy hear that comfortable saying of thine Come ye blessed of my Father Receive the Kingdome prepared for you before the beginning of the World but woe to all that live wicked sinful lives in that day they shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God and shall be Tormented in Fire and Brimstone for Evermore O Dear God and gracious Father keep us from this condition and knit our hearts fast unto thee and cause us now while we have time with the help of thy Grace not only to think rightly of these things but so to walk before thee in this present life as becometh thy people and Children O continue the Word of Truth evermore amongst us to comfort us and let the seed thereof take such fast root in our hearts that it may fructifie and bring forth fruit to thy Glory and our own good and comfort that we may be the more enabled thereby to walk in they fear in the midst of a wicked and perverse Generation Shower down thy blessings upon the Head and Heart of our gracious King and Queen and upon all the Royal Family Bless O Lord the Ministers Judges and Magistrates of this Land Bless all the people of all degrees and kinds Let thy blessing be upon our Relations Kindred and Freinds and upon all others whom we are bound to pray for in any affliction pain trouble sickness or any other distemper whatsoever Bless them all and bless us and ours and do more for us then we can express unto thee and all we beg in the Name and Words of our blessed Saviour and Redeemer saying Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Wednesday Morning MOst gracious Lord God and holy Father thine eyes are more pure than the Son and cannot behold any thing that is unclean the Cherubins and Seraphins cover their faces before thy glorious Majesty the heaven of heavens are not clean in thy sight How then shall earth sinful earth dust and ashes appear before thee we persume not O Lord to come before thy Tribunal to plead for our righteousness for all our righteousness is as filthy rags but we prostrate our selves with all humility of body and soul at thy mercy seat to make confession of our sins Hear Lord and have mercy on us and as thou hast Redeemed us by thy Son so we beseech thee to sanctifie us by thy holy Spirit Mortifie in us every day more and more all sinful lusts and affections and quicken us in all saving graces and vertues
increase our faith confirm our hope inflame our Charity teach us to imitate the life of Christ the true pattern of perfect Obedience and only true rule of a Godly life Teach us Humility Patience Meekness Gentleness Chastity Temperance Teach us to contemn earthly things to deny our selves to overcome the world grant us consolation in adversity and true tranquillity of mind grant us victory in temptations and deliverance from the devils treacheries grant us in thine appointed time a blessed departure of this life and a blessâ—â— resurrection unto life everlâ—sting And we pray not for our selves alone but in obedience to thy Command we make our supplication unto thee for all men save and defend thy universal Church enlarge thou her borders propagate thy Kingdom Bless thy servant Charles our most gracious King and governour Bless together with him our gracious Q. Katharine James Duke of York and the rest of the Royal Family Bless we beseech thee the Lords of his Majestys most Honourable Privy Council the Nobles Judges Ministers and Magistrates of this Realm Be thou a Father to the Fatherless a Comforter to the Comfortless a Deliverer to the Captives a Physitian to the Sick Grant that the Sickness of their Bodies may be for the good of their souls Hear us likewise O Lord for the sake of Christ and accept our thanksgiving we thank thee for preserving us ever since we were born and for defending us this night from all perils and dangers for the quiet rest wherewith thou hast refreshed our bodies for thy mercy renewed unto us this morning let thy mercy be continued unto us this day let thy Spirit direct us in all our ways that we may walk before thee as Children of the light doing those things that are pleasing in thy sight Let the dew of thy blessing descend upon our labours for without thy blessing all our labour is in vain Prosper thou the works of our hands upon us and grant that we may so conscionably seek after things temporal in our callings that we do not finally lose the things which are eternal we are unworthy O Lord we confess to obtain any thing at thy hand either for our selves or any other even for the sinfulness of these our prayers But since thou hast promised to hear all those that call upon thee in thy sons name make good we beseech thee thy promise unto us now calling upon thee in thy Sons name and praying as he hath taught us in his holy Gospel Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Wednesday Evening MOst Glorious Lord God whose dwelling is in the highest heavens And yet beholdest the lowly and the humble upon earth we blush and are ashamed to lift up our eyes unto heaven because we have sinned against thee which dwellest in the heavens But look down we beseech thee from heaven thy dwelling place and behold the humility of thy servants here on earth which prostrate themselves at the foot-stool of thy mercy confessing their own guiltiness begging pardon for our sins we confess O Almighty Creator that thou madest us at the first after thine own Images thou cloathedst us with Innocency as with a Garment thou seatest us in Paradice a place of all delight and Pâ—easure But we have defaced thine Image we have cast off our first Covering we have thrust our selves out of that pleasant place we ran away from thee and were not obedient to thy Voice And we do still shut our Eyes O Lord that we might not see and we have refused to be ruled by thy Law The law of sin in our flesh doth dayly captâ—vate us The root of sin which lyeth hidden in us doth every day put forth new branches all the parts and faculties of our bodies and souls are as so many Instruments of unrighteousness to fight against thy Divine Majesty Our hearts imagine wicked things our mouths utter them and our hands put them in practise Thy Mercys are every day renewed unto us and our sins are every day multiplyed against thee in the day of health and prosperity we forget thee and we never think upon thee in the day of sickness and adversity Thy benefits heaped upon us do not allure us to obey thee neither do thy Judgments inflicted upon others make us afraid to offend thee what couldst thou have done O Lord more for us or what could we have done more against thee Thou didst send thy Son in the fulness of time to take our nature upon him to fulfil thy Law for us and to be Crucified for our sins but we have not followed the example of his Holy Life but have every day afresh Crucified him by our sins and now O Lord if we should become our own Judges we cannot but confess that we have deserved everlasting torments in Hell fire but there is mercy with thee O Lord therefore will we not despair our sins are many in number but thy mercys are without number the weight of our sins is great but the weight of thy Sons Cross was greater our sins press us down to hell but thy mercy in Christ Jesus raiseth us up by Satan we are accused but by Jesus Christ we are defended By our own Consciences we are condemned but by Jesus Christ we are absolved and pardoned in us there is nothing but Sin Death and Damnation in him there is treasured up for us Righteousness Life and Salvation we are poor Christ is our Riches we are naked he is our covering We are exposed to thy fury pursuing of us he is the buckler of our defence and our refuge he is the Rock of our Salvation and in him do we trust Guide us O Lord by thy holy Spirit to amend what is amiss in us increase all gifts and graces which thou hast already given and give unto us what thou best knowest to be wanting Be gracious and favourable to thy whole Church especially to that part of it among us Bless thy Servant and our soveraign Lord King Charles our gracious Queen Katharine and all the Royal Family we beseech thee also to be gracious to the Kings Council the Nobility the Magistracy the Ministry the Gentry the Commonalty Forget not O Lord all those that are under the Cross and affliction Cloth the Naked feed the Hungry visit the Sick deliver the Captives defend the Fatherless and Widow releive the Oppressed confirm and strengthen those that suffer Persecution for Righteousness sake cure those that are broken in heart speak peace unto their consciences that are tormented with the sence of their sins stand by those that are ready to depart out of this life and when the house of their earthly Tabernacle shall be destroyed then Lord receive their Souls And now O Lord we bless and praise thy Name for our Health Maintenance and Liberty for preserving us ever since we were born for blessing us in all that we have put our hands unto this day Let thy mercy still be continued unto
us we beseech thee let the eye of thy providence which never slumbereth nor sleepeth watch over us and let the hand of thy power Protect and defend us Cover us this Night under the Shadow of thy Wings that no evil happen unto us Grant that our bodies may be refreshed this night with such moderate rest that we may be the fitter for the works of our vocation and thy service the next morning Hear us we beseech thee for Jesus Christ his sake our Lord and only Saviour in whose Name and Words we call upon thee further Praying Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Thursday Morning GLorious Lord God and in Jesus Christ our merciful and loving Father we thine unworthy creatures sinful dust and ashes are here in all humility of souls and bodies prostrate as the lowest footstool of thy glorious Majesty beseeching thee to bow down thine ears unto our prayers to open thine eyes to our Supplications who from the very bottom of our hearts do acknowledg and confess that we have been unprofitable servants prodigal Children and bad stewards of that time which thou hast afforded us for repentance and good works and of those tallents which thou hast committed to our improvement we are Children of rebellious and disobedient parents our hearts are cages of unclean birds of noisome lusts and the thoughts thereof have been evil and only evil and that continually And if we look O Lord unto the actions of our lives there are few sins we have not committed no Commandement which we have not broken These eyes which now look up unto heaven have beheld vanity these tongues which now call upon thee have dishonoured thee and these hands which we now lift up unto thee have been many times lifted up against thee and thy statutes so that we have made our selves unworthy of the east of thy mercies but worthy of the greatest of thy Judgments but deal not with us after our sins neiâ—her reward us according to our â—niquities Spare us O Lord Spare thy people whom thou hast creatâ—d after thine own Image and redeemed with thy own blood And â—ccording to the multitude of thy tender compassions which have ever been of old to us blot out the multitude of our transgressions pardon our sins and receive us again into thy favour for his sake and Suffering who hath Satisfied thy Justice to the utmost farthing And for the short residue and remainder of our days give us grace O Lord to consecrate the remainder of them to thy service to redeem that time which we cannot recall and to make our calling and election sure before we go home and be seen no more And bâ—cause the corruption of our nature are too many and too strong for us and the Devil like a roaring Lyon goes about continually to devour us leave us not to our selves but assist us by thy grace perfed thy strength in our weakness and preserve both our bodies and souls blameless and spotless that wheâ— we shall have finished our course and run the race of our natural Pilâ—grimage we may receive that crown of righteousness which thou the righteous and just Judge hast laid up for all them that love and expect the day of thy appearing And together with us we intreat thee for a blessing upon our King Queen Duke and the rest of the Royal Family upon our Counsellours Ministers and Magistrates upon our friends Kindred and acquaintance upon the whole Church and every afflicted member of it Eccept of our Morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for all the mercies and favours comforts and deliverances which from time to time thou hast afforded and continued to us we thank thee for thy last mercy in preserving us from the dangers of this night past for refreshing our bodies with seasonable rest and bringing us safe to the beginning of this day Lord what is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou shouldest thus visit and remember him give us grace O Lord to remember thee and to be mindful of thy mercies that we may praise thee for all thee truth and faithfulness which thou shewest to us in the land of the living that as thou hast brought us to the comforts of this day so thou mayst go along with us in the same to enable us for the Duties of those callings wherein we are placed and to deliver us from those dangers to which we are exposed ever for Jesus Christ his sake in whose most blessed name and words we conclude these our weak and imperfect prayers saying as he himself hath taught us in his holy Gospel Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Thursday Evening O Eternal God and most merciful Father in Jesus Christ in whom thou hast made a Covenant of Grace and Mercy with all those that come unto thee in him in his Name and Mediation we humbly prostrate our selves before the throne of thy mercy-seat acknowledging that by the breach of all thy holy Laws and Commandements we are become wild Olive Branches strangers to thy Covenant of Grace we have defaced in our selves thy sacred Image imprinted in us by Creation we have sinned against Heaven and before thee and are no more worthy to be called thy children O admit us into the place of hired servants Lord thou hast formed us in ouâ— Mothers Wombs thy Providence hath hitherto watched over us and preserved us to this present time O stay not the course of thy Mercies and loving kindness toward us Have mercy upon us O Lord for thy dear Son Jesus Christ his sake who is the way the truth and the Life In him O Lord we appeal from thy Justice to thy Mercy beseeching thee in his Name and for his sake only that thou wilt be graciously pleased freely to pardon us all our sins and disobedience whether in thought word or deed committed against thy divine Majesty and in his precious Bloodsheding Death and perfect obedience free us from all the guilt the stain the punishment and dominion of all our sins and cloth us with his perfect Righteousness there is mercy with thee O Lord that thou mayest be feared yea thy mercyes swallow up the greatness of our sins speak peace to our souls and consciences make us happy in the free Remission of all our sins and be reconciled to thy poor servants in Jesus Christ in whom thou art well pleased Suffer not the works of thine own Hands to Perish thou art not delighted in the death of sinners but in their Conversion turn our hearts and we shall be turned convert us and we shall be converted Illuminate the eyes of our minds and understandings with the bright beams of thy holy Spirit that we may dayly grow in the saving knowledg of the heavenly mystery of our Redemption wrought by our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ sanctifie our wills and affections by the same Spirit the most sacred fountain of all
grace and goodness reduce them to the obedience of thy most holy will in the practise of all piety toward thee and charity towards all men And with us be gracious to thy whole Church bless thy servant Charles our gracious King and Governour bless our gracious Queen James Duke of York and all the Royal Family bless the Nobility the Magistracy and Ministery of this land of what quality or degree soever Be merciful to all that are under any affliction or tryal whatsoever be a Father to the fatherless a husband to the Widdow and a Comforter to the Comfortless in what streight or necessity soever they are support them and bring them out of it to thy Glory and their comfort Be merciful to all that we are bound to pray for bless our Relations Kindred and Friends and let them serve thee and live to thy Glory And now we desire to return all humble and hearty thanks to thy heavenly Majesty for all thy blessings continually showred down upon us In Creating us and Preserving us to this day in keeping us the day past from all dangers and casualties that we are continually subject to Continue O Lord we beseech thee this favour to us and let thy Angels pitch their Tents round about us this night to guard and defend us from all perils both of soul and body let our weak and wearied bodies be refreshed with seasonable and convenient rest and sleep that so we may be the more fit to discharge our duties both toward God and man the day following Grant these our weak Petitions and give us all other blessings that thou knowest we stand in need of and all we ask of thee in the blessed Name and Words of our dear Saviour and Redeemer further Praying Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Fryday Morning MOst Holy most Glorious and Eternal Lord God we thy poor and unworthy servants in all humility of soul and body and unfeigned acknowledgment of our duty prostrate our selves before the Throne of thy Mercy praising and magnifying thy fatherly goodness for the abundance of thy blessings and for the multitude of thy mercies heaped upon us beseeching thee for Christ his sake to be merciful to all our sins committed against thy divine Majesty upon the consideration of which we confess we are not worthy to appear in thy presence much less to ask a Blessing at thy hands for by reason of our corrupt nature in us derived from our first Parents our inclinations have been proâ—e to commit all manner of sin and wickedness against thy goodness thy laws and precepts we have broken both in thought word and deed out of our hearts proceed evil and wicked imaginations which defile the soul and the whole man is altogether abominable these things O Lord we confess to our shame and if thy mercy prevent not it will be our utter destruction of soul and body Yet O Lord thou aâ—t our Creator thou hast made us and thou hast sent thy dear Son Jesus Christ to die for us and thy holy Spirit to sanctifie us and many are the benefits and blessings which thou hast bestowed upon us and which by thy goodness we enjoy both of soul and body and therefore by the testimony of our own consciences we stand convicted and the thoughts of our great sins and transgressions do much astonish us what shall we say therefore or wherein shall we open ouâ— mouths who shall deliver us from the misery due unto us for our transgressions nothing can be expected in this life but mercy and confusion and in the world to come eternal condemnation But yet O Lord in obedience to thy command and in confident assurance of thy endless and unspeakable mercy promised in Jesus Christ to all sinners which come unto thee with sorrow in our hearts shame in our faces and in all humility of Spirit And we would appeal from thee a just Judg to thee a merciful Father from the throne of thy Justice to the seat of thy Mercy beseeching thee O Lord to have mercy upon us and to turn away thy face from all our sins and to blot out all our transgressions for the only Meritorious Death and Passion of Jesus Christ who so abundantly shed his Blood on the Cross to take away the sin of the World and be pleased now to reform our affections transform us out of sin into the glorious liberty of thy own children to live in newness of life in a holy conversation and continual obedience to thy divine Majesty And now we further intreat thee O Lord for a blessing upon thy Church Universal more especially we beseech thee to continue the peace and prosperity of these Churches wherein we live and every member thereof and in a more especial manner bless with the cheifest of thy blessings thine Annointed and our Soveraign Lord King Charles the Queens Majesty James Duke of York and the rest of the Royal Family bless the Lords of his Majesties most honourable privy Council the Reverend Clergy and all civil Magistrates bless all our kindred friends and acquaintance bless all O Lord from the highest to the lowest And since it hath pleased thee O Lord of thy Goodness to deliver us from the power of darkness and all dangers of the night past affording us quiet and comfortable rest bring us safe to the beginning of this day our souls and all that is within us shall praise thy holy Name We beseech thee to bless and defend us O Lord this day direct and protect us in it bless our going out and comming in let thy Spirit guide us in all our actions prosper all our labours and endeavours this day make us diligent and dutiful in our Callings that we may keep a good Conscience in all our dealings not any way to defraud any one knowing that one day we must give an account of all our words and deeds Lord hear us we beseech thee and accept of this our morning Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving hear our prayers and grant our petitions that we have asked and all other blessings which thou in thy infinite wisdom knowest most necessary for us we ask at thy merciful hands in the Name and through the mediation of thy dear Son our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ our Lord in whose most excellent form of Prayer we conclude our imperfect Petitions saying Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Fryday Evening MOst glorious and everlasting Lord God which inhabitest eternity and dwellest in that light which no mortal eye can attain unto the God in whom we live and move and have our being we thine unworthy servants do here in all lowliness and humility present our persons and Prayers before thy divine Majesty confessing and acknowledging that we were conceived in sins and brought forth in iniquity and as if that had been but a small matter we have heaped up our Actuall transgressions as the sand upon the sea-shore and as the stars
in the firmament for number we have broken thy Commandements we have prophaned thy Sabbaths we have dishonour thy name we have abused thy creatures we have neglected the day of our Visitation and turned thy grace into wantonness whereby we have most justly provoked thy wrath and everlasting displeasure we have wounded our own consciences weakned our assurance of salvation and greived thy good Spirit which sealeth us up unto the day of our redemption And now O Lord if thou shouldst deal with us after our deservings thou mightest pour upon us the deluge of thy wrath and sury to sweep us out of the land of the living into that place of torment prepared for the Devil and his Angels But thou hast revealed thy self to the sons of men to be the Lord the Lord Merciful and Gracious Long-suffering and of great Goodness who pardonest Sinnes and passest by the transgressions of thy people this is thy Name for ever and thy Memorial throughout all generations we beseech therefore for Jesus Christ his sake to be merciful unto us in the free pardon and forgiveness of all our sins that we have ever committed against thee Accept of his obedience for our disobedience of his righteousness for our unrighteousness of his Sufferings for all our sins wash them away in his blood nail them to his cross hide them in his wounds and bury them in his grave that they may never rise up for our confusion here or for our condemnation hereafter O Lord be unto us a Father of Mercy and a God of Consolation Speak peace unto our souls and consciences and say unto us that thou art the God of our salvation And give us grace for the time to come to dye dayly unto sin by vertue of thy sons death and to rise up to newness of life by the power of his resurrection wean our hearts and take off our affections from the things of this world which endure but for a season and raise them up unto those things which are at thy right hand for evermore enlighten the darkness of our understandings subdue the stubbornness of our wills rectify the disorder of our affections and bring into obedience whatsoever exalteth it self against thy will that at last we may become such as thou would'st have us to be Continue and enlarge thy blessings upon the Church and Land wherein we live upon the person and government of our King bless all the Royal Family together with his Majesties councel the Nobility Magistracy Clergy and Gentry of the land Be merciful to all those who are afflicted with any cross or calamity all our relations and acquaintance and all others whom we are bound to pray for O Lord accept our Thanksgiving this Evening for all the mercys and favours which thou hast afforded for our souls or bodies for this life or a better more especially that thou hast preserved us and our Family this day in health and happiness Now holy Father seeing the night is upon us and we are ready to take our rest in thy hands we commit our souls and bodies and all that we have beseeching thee who art the keeper of Israel that neither sleepest nor slumberest to take care of us for if thou protect us not Satan will devour us yea we shall sleep a prepetual sleep and never arise up to praise thee we praise thee therefore be good to us this night deâ—eâ—d us from danger refresh us with comfortable rest and raise us up to glorify thee in the duties of the day following that thou mayst still be our God and we may be thy people hear us and graciously answer us in these our requests and what else thou knowest needful and expedient for us and that for Jesus Christ his sake in whose most blessed name and words we conclude these our imperfect Prayers saying as he himself hath taughts us Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Saturday Morning GRacious Lord God thou art the great Creator of Heaven and Earth we confess our selves unworthy to come into thy presence or to speak a word before thee wretched sinful Creatures that we are full of all iniquity and uncleanness and who can make that clean which is taken out of an unclean thing the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts are evil and only evil and that continually Yet O Lord seeing thou hast commanded us to call upon thee and hast mercifully promised to be present with thy Children to hear their prayers and to grant their requests which they put up in faith unto thee O Lord this doth give us boldness to come before thee and in confidence of thy goodness that thou wilt make good the same promises unto us at this time we here offer up unto thee this morning Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving humbly acknowledging and confessing from the bottom of our hearts our manifold transgressions and offences which we have continually multiplied against thee in thought word and deed from the beginning of our dayes unto this present time we acknowledge O Lord our Original corruption in the which we were at the first conceived and born and from which there hath sprung the most bitter and unsavoury fruit of sin apostacy and Rebellion to the great dishonour of thy Name and wounding of our poor souls and consciences and the evil example of others amongst whom we have lived by the which O God we confess that we have justly deserved that thy Wrath and indignation should be poured out upon us both in this life and in the life to come And therefore O God we come not here before thee in our own worthiness but in the worthiness and mediation of Jesus Christ beseeching thy gracious goodness for his sake to forgive all our offences our open sins our secret sins our sins of Presumption sins against Knowledg against Conscience against thee or against our Brethren either in our younger years or in the days of our knowledge as we must needs confess that in many things we offend all we beseech thee O Lord for Christ his sake to forgive the same unto us and perswade our Souls and Consciences more and more that thou art at peace with us and that all our sins are done away in the blood of thy Son And grant O Lord that by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit we may serve thee with more freedom of mind and liberty of will in Righteousness and true Holiness unto the end of our days And good Lord begin not only repentance and true conversion in us but of thy great mercy perfect the same O lead us forward more and more to perfection increase in us the saving knowledge of thee and of thy Son Jesus Christ. And now O Lord we magnify and praise thy Holy Name for thy Blessings and Mercies bestowed upon us both Spiritual and Temporal for our Health Peace Food Rayment and all the comforts of this life O Lord let us make a right use of them that we may not
subscribing with their blood Lord grant we nere may sin away The mercies of this Gospel day The Persecution in the time of Q. Mary and the carriage of the Papists in it is thus described by the excellent Bp. Jewel YOu have saith he imprisoned your brethren you have stript them naked you have scourged them with rods you have burnt their hands and arms with flaming torches you have famished them you have drowned them you have summon'd them being dead to appear before you out of their graves you have ript up their buried carkases burnt them and thrown them out upon dunghils you took a poor babe falling from its mothers womb and in a most cruel and inhumane manner threw it into the fire By all which several ways and means the Martyrs in all parts of the Kingdom in the 5 years reign of Q. Mary amounted to the number of 277. persons of all sorts and ages for there perished by these flames 5 Bishops 21 Divines 8 Gentlemen 84 Artificers 100 Husbandmen servants and labourers 26 Wives 20 Widdows 9 Virgins 2 boys and 2 infants one springing out of his mothers womb as she was burning at the stake and most unmercifully flung it into the fire at the very birth 64 more in those furious times were persecuted in their faith whereof 7 were whipt 16 perish'd in prison 12 buried in dunghils and many more lay in captivity condemned who were happily delivered by the glorious entrance of Queen Elizabeth A Thanksgiving for the return of the Gospel and our deliverance from Popish Superstition and Tyranny O Most glorious most merciful and gracius Lord God we cannot but remember thy mercies to us and to our Fathers of old when thou wast pleased to deliver this Nation from the spiritual Aegyptian bondage which we were under in the Mariâ—n days when our Fathers were in the condition of those Worthies of old who were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection who wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented in desarts in mountains in dens and caves of the Earth and the sound of the Turtle was not heard in the land This O Lord was our miserable condition under that Romish Tyranny under which we groaned but thou our most merciful Father in the midst of judgment didst remember mercy and didst bring back our captivity as the rivers in the South thou broughtest thy servant Queen Elizabeth from prison to reign and with her did the glorious Sun of thy Gospel arise upon these late dark lands and the word of the Lord went throughout the Nation thou quenchest those flames that destroyed so many of thy blessed Saints and servants and didst at once restore to us religion peace plenty and Victory over all our and thine enemies O what shall we render unto the Lord for all these his great benefits to us a most unworthy wicked and sinful people let us render unto him the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and let our lives and conversations so shew forth his praise that we may never provoke the Lord to remove his candlestick from us and once more to scourge us with the thorns and bryars of Popish Tyranny from which his grace and goodness hath so wonderfully delivered us and all this we ask through the merits and mercies of thy blessed Son our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen The prayer of King Edward the sixth called Englands Josiah against Popery LOrd God deliver me out of this miserable and wretched life and take me among thy chosen howbeit not my will but thy will be done Lord I commit my spirit to thee O Lord thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosens sake send me life and health that I may truly serve thâ—e O my God bless thy people and save thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy chosen people of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistâ—y and maintain thy true Religion that I and my people may praise thy holy name Vpon the Spanish Invasion in that remarkable year 1588. intended to reduce this Nation to Popery and slavery by the so called invincible Armada Poor Englands ruin is design'd The Pope and Spain have both combind Both have infallibly decreed In Eighty Eight England must bleed A vast Armada Spain prepares The cost and toyl of many years An hundred fifty Sail and more Come thundring from the Spanish shoar The Pope to make up the bravado Stiles it the invincible Armado Whose vast and numerous Hulls contain The Treasure and the strenght of Spain Full twenty thousand Souldiers And to encrease our woes and fears Fetters and chains they did prepare The marks of slavery we must wear Religion Laws and Liberties All were designed a Sacrifice To Romish Tyranny and we Most wretched slaves design'd to be Our Queen with watchful eyes surveys Th' approaching storm and soon doth raise Two Royal Armies to withstand The bold Invaders of our Land A Royal Fleet too she provides But God himself the cause decides The Lord of Hosts soon made them see There 's none Invincible but He. He with a breath of wind doth blast Designs so mighty and so vast That all might see that none but He An Vniversal King can be In the year of our Lord 1588. and in the one and thirtieth year of the most glorious reign of Q. Elizabeth Philip the second King of Spain set forth this mighty fleet the Spaniards themselves being so amazed at the vastness of it that they named it the Invincible Armada it being the best furnished with men amunition and all manner of provision of any that ever the Ocean saw consisting of a hundred and fifty tall ships in which were twenty thousand Souldiers and the D. of Parma was designed to bring out of Flanders fifty thousand more to join with them it had also eight thousand six hundred mariners two thousand and eighty gally-slaves two thousand six hundred and thirty great Ordnance besides boats and tenders of all sorts with provisions the Pope also contributed a million of gold to this design All these were to be landed at the Thames mouth that by seizing on the head they might the more easily command the body of the Kingdom The Queen had prepared a double guard one for the land and another for the sea that by land was divided into two Armies the one consisting of two and twenty thousand foot and a thousand horse commanded by the Earl of Leicester whose camp was at â—â—lbury where the Queen with a masculine spirit came and took a view of her Army and riding about through the ranks of armed men drawn up on both sides her with a Leaders trunche on in her hand sometimes with a martial pace another while 〈◊〉 liâ—e a woman it is incredible how mâ—ch 〈…〉 ragâ—d the heart of hâ— Captaâ—ns and Souldiers by her presence and peech to them The guard by sea consisted of one hundred and forty
ships divided into 3 squadrons commanded by the L. Howard Admiral Sr. Francis Drake Vice-Admiral and the Lord Henry Seymour Reer-Admiral When the mighty moving wood of Spain was entred into the British seas and found the Queen so well prepared contrary to their expectation they resolved rather to make a chase fight than lye by it The Queen commanded the L. Admiral to make ready eight of her worst ships and to besmear them with wild-fire pitch and rosin and fill them with brimstone and other combustible matâ—er which he sent down the wind in the dead of the night among the Spanish Fleet who spying the flames â—nd thinking them deadly inventions and murthering engines raised a sad oâ—tcry and preseâ—tly weigâ—'d anchor 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 les and in a terrible Panicâ—â—ear with great hast and confusion put to Sea Whereupon the Queens fleet under Drake and other brave Commanders took some of them sunck and drove some on the sands and many others being driven Northwards and grievously tossed impaired and mangled by storms and wracks and enduring all manner of miseries at length returned with shame and dishonour by all which ways were lost more than half the Spanish fleet and of the English only one ship and that of small value And thus this great Armada which had been three compleat years in preparing with infiniâ—e expence was within one months space many times fought with and at last overthrown with the loss of abundance of Spaniards and this mighty design came to nought Gloria Deo A Thanksgiving for our deliverance from the Spanish Armada in 1588. MOst high and mighty Lord God Almighty who workest wonders in the Heavens in the Earth and in the Sea who art a present help to all that call upon thee we the people of these Nations have infinite cause to bless thy holy name for thy mercies of old to our Fathers in delivering us from that slavery and misery that was design'd to be brought upon us by thine and our enemies who intended to have tyrannized over our souls our bodies our consciences they had prepared whips to scourge us chains and fetters to bind and manacle us and they did boast themselves to be invincible and that none could withstand them but thou O Lord didst blow upon them with a blast of thy mouth and they were scattered like chaff before the wind and they perished at thy presence thou didst put fear into their hearts and they fled thou didst confound all their projects and devices and they were all brought to nought O Lord let us never forget this mercy of thine and the multitude of thy mercies that we have recieved since that time which thou knowest O Lord we have not improved as we ought and may therefore justly fear that we have so provoked thee by our crying abominations that thou mayst once more give us over to Romish Tyranny O Lord we beseech thee yet to remember mercy and rather take us into thine own hand to correct us than give us into the hands of wicked and unmerciful men whose tender mercies are cruelties remember thy loving kindness to us of old and save us according to thy wonted mercy not for our own sakes but for the merit of thy dear Son and our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ. Amâ—n Vpon the fifth of November 1 THis day allows thy praises Lord Our grateful hearts to thee shall sing Our thankful lips they shall record Thine antient loves Eternal King 2 Our Land shall boast the holy One My great preserver is become My friends my foes hath overthrown And made the pit they dig'd their tomb 3 With Parthian bows the Archers came Romes poisonous oyl on th' arrows shone Thy Turtle was the Archers aim Shoot shoot saies Satan all 's our own 4 Fond foolish Rome how darest t' oppose Whom God in his safe bosom lays Thy malice may it self disclose But frustrate still shall turn to praise 5 Thy Crozier staff thy tripple Crown Those ensignes of deceit and pride Thy purple robe thy blaz'd renown The Gunpowder Treasâ—n The dust shall ever ever hide 6 Thy merchants shall thy fall lament Thy lovers all in sackloth mourn While Heaven and Earth in one consent Shall sing Amen let Babilon burn 7 Then Lord thy Spouse whose dropping eyes Whose sighs whose sufferings prove her thine Shall from her pensive sorrows rise And as the Lambs fair Bride shall shine 8 Sweet day sweet day when shall it be Why stays my Lord dear Saviour come Thy mourning Spouse cries after thee Stay with me here or take me home Of the Powder Treason THe Plot was to undermine the Parliament-house and with Pouder to blow up the King Prince Clergy Nobles Knights and Burgesses the very confluence of all the flower of Glory Piety Learning Prudence and Authority in the Land Fathers Sons Brothers Allies Friends Foes Papists and Protestants all at one blast This damnable design was coutrived by some Priests Jesuits and other Papists to which end they took lodgings near the Parliament house and then all the Conspirators took an oath of secresy in these words You shall swear by the blessed Trinity and by the Sacrament you now purpose to receive never to disclose directly or indirectly by word or circumstance the matter that shall be proposed to you to keep secret nor desist from the execution thereof till the rest shall give you leave And now the business went on apace and all things being ready the 5 th of November 1605. was the day designed for the execution but about ten days before a letter directed to my Ld. Monteagle was delivered by an unknown person to his footman in the street with a strict charge to give it to his Lords own hand which accordingly he did and the Lord being troubled at the contents presently imparted it to the Secretary of State who soon presented it the King which was in these Words My LORD Out of the love I bear to some of your friends I have a care of your preservation therefore I would advise you as you tender your life to devise some excuse to shift off your attendance at this Parliament for God and man have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time and think not slightly of this advertisement 〈◊〉 retire your self into your Country where you may expect the event with safety for though there be no appearance of any stir yet I say they shall receive a terrible Blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them this counsel is not to be contemned because it may do you good and can do you no harm for the danger is past so soon as you have burnt the letter and I hope God will give you the grace to make use of it to whose holy protection I commend you The King reading this letter did conclude by several dark passages in it that it contained in it some extraordinary design and therefore by the Blow did suppose was meant some blast of Gun-pouder
him for these thy great and unspeakable mercys we render thee most humble thanks from the bottom of our hearts beseeching thee still to continue thy gracious protection over him and to grant him a long and happy reign over us so we will give thee thanks for ever and will always be shewing forth thy praise from generation to generation through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Vpon the Twenty Nineth of May the Day of his Majesties Birth and happy Return NO voice more soft then Thunder can express Our present joy our past heaviness None can the largeness of this Joy set out Unless at once he make three Kingdomes shout O therefore let us jointly all proclaim The praise of this great Act due to the Name Of Him by whom Kings Reign and Oh that we Could make our souls Wing'd with Devotion flee To God on High in Thankfulness and Praise Who without Blood has Crown'd our King with Bays Brought from three conquered Nations which he Holds in Subjection but to keep them free From the hard Yoke of Bondage which of late So gaul'd our necks whilest that we called a State Was nought but mad-men sitting at the Helm T was a great Bedlam which is now a Realm But those bad times are past this day we were Even rescu'd from the Sword without a War Without a War Great Charles his Kingdomes wone Thus strait when God Will hav 't the thing is done O may we thankful be and sing his praise Who for our Cypress now has given us Bayes May we give God and Caesar all their due And always Peace and Loyalty Pursue A Thanksgiving for the 29th of May being the day of his Majesties Birth and happy Return O Lord God who by thy divine providence and goodness didst this day bring into the world and didst this day also bring Back and restore unto us and to his own just and undoubted right our most gracious Soveraign Lord thy Servant KING CHARLES preserve his life establish his throne we beseech thee be unto him a helmet of salvation against the face of his enemies and a strong tower of defence in the time of trouble Let his reign be prospeâ—ous and his days many and let him so duly serve thee on earth that he may hereafter everlastingly reign with thee in heaven and let us thine unworthy servants make an oblation of our selves unto thee vowing all holy obedience in thought word and work unto thy divine Majesty promising in thee and for thee all loyall and dutiful Allegiance to thine anointed servant and to his heirs after him whom we beseech thee to bless with all encrease of grace honour and happiness And together with him bless the whole Royal Family with the dew of thy heavenly Spirit that they ever trusting in thy goodness protected by thy power and Crowned with thy gracious and endless favour may continue before thee in health peace joy and honour a long and happy life upon earth and after death obtain everlasting life and glory in the Kingdome of Heaven by the merits and mediation of Christ Jesus our Saviour who with the Father The â—Pestilence 〈◊〉 1665 and the holy Spirit liveth and reigneth for ever world without end Amen Vpon the Dreadful Pestilence in 1665. ON the great City of this Sinful Land London with Wealth and Folk abounding and With sin the cause of woe too God first pour'd The brim full Vial of his wrath and showr'd His ireful Judgments There his Angel drew The sword of Vengeance and that people slew At first by Tens which soon to Hundreds come Then Thousands weekly sent to their long home The frighted Citizens begin to fly From house and habitation lest they dye A wrathful day a dismal time wherein Thousands receive the wages of their sin Now might you see Red Crosses there great store And Lord have Mercy upon many a door The Knells of death continually do ring And that same doleful sound of Buryers Bring Your dead out Mortal ears with Terror Pierce And now a Cart becomes too many a Hearse Now might you see all faces blackness gather The son lamenting for his dying Father The wife for her deceased husband crying And parents mourning for their Children dying And some who did in stately houses dwell Now gladly creep into a Country Cell And others wandering up and down the Fields No Town or Village them admittance yeilds Thus from the Rod of God poor sinners fly Not from their Crimes for which they smart and dye Had you your selves forsaken when at home You need not thus about the countrey rome Had you fled from your sins before as fast You need not from the Plague have made such hast There have been three great Plagues in London within these sixty years and how much greater this last was then the former may appear by this Comparison In the year 1625. Buried of all Diseases 54265 Whereof of the Plague 35417 In the year 1636. Buried of all Diseases 23359 Whereof of the Plague 10400 In the year 1665. Buried of all Diseases 97301 Whereof of the Plague 68586 A Prayer in time of Pestilence OMnipotent Lord thou sin revenging God who for disobedience didst threaten thine own people Israel to smite them in the knees and in the legs with a sore botch that could not be healed be pleased O thou great offended Lord in the bowels of thy compassion to let thine anger cease and to bow down thine ear to thy sorrowful servants we turn unto thee our weeping eyes our dejected countenances our wringing hands our bended Knees our mournful voices and our groaning hearts O Merciful God behold our tears and view our countenances and look upon our hands and strengthen our Knees and hearken to our voices and comfort our hearts Give us a fight of our sins O Lord which have thus provoked thee to enter into Judgment with thy Servants and make us more to loath and tremble at our wickedness then at these Messengers of death wean us from the love of sin from the consideration both of thy displeasure and our own mortality and speak peace and health unto our souls which do every moment expect our dissolution to come O Lord thou art a God who canst not abide to behold unrighteousness look not therefore with thy wrathful eye upon us who are full of sin and pollution but look upon thy Son and his righteousness or if thou wilt look upon us first cloth us with the righteousness of that immaculate Lamb and so shalt thou see us with love and delight and we shall behold thee with unspeakable joy Seal unto our souls the remission of our offences and then make us willing to resigne our bodies to thy disposing yet we know O Lord if thou dost but Speak the word we shall be made whole if thou say'st the Plague shall not come near our habitations we then know we shall be safe if it be thy blessed will O Lord let us praise thee in the
mans brains are dasht Full in the next mans face his bowels pasht On his next neighbour a third is found Groaning his Soul out in a wide-mouth'd wound There bullets fierce drive a heart out which dies To mortals rage a bloody Sacrifice Good Lord how will Heaven quietly hold those Souls who just now wert here such deadly Foes A Prayer in the Time of War ALmighty Lord God Thou art he only which givest victory to thee it is all one to save by many or by few thou canst make one to chase a thousand thou canst cause the hearts even of the most valiant to melt their hands to be weak their minds to faint and their knees to fall a way like Water if thou fight for us we cannot miscarry if thou favour us not we must needs be discomfited O be gracious unto us and be on our side now that men are risen up against us Go out O Lord with our Navys and Armies give wisdom and courage to our Captains gird them with strength unto the battel be with our Sea-men and Souldiers teaching their hands to war and their fingers to fight Assist their consultations prosper their policies crown their enterprizes with good success which are undertaken for the common good and comfort of the State Doubtless O Lord we deserved thine anger and our Sins do cry aloud in thine ears for vengeance it were but just with thee it thou shouldst make us a prey and spoil unto our enemies but O gracious God let us now fall into thy hands for thy mercies are great and let us not fall into the hands of men let it appear that thou art in the midst of us and that we shall not be moved that thou wilt help us and that very early and in thy due time set thou peace in our borders and make strong the bars of our Gates especially let the Gospel of thy Son sound yet louder among us that by it many Souls may be gathered unto thee So we thy people and the sheep of thy pasture shall praise thee for ever and from generation to generation we will set forth thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen A Prayer in time of Prosperity HEavenly Father Lord of plenty thou who hast created the world by thy power and continuest thy love in thy providence and protection to thee do I render thanks for my plenty and to thee do I offer the service of my store what I have is thine for the Earth is thine and all that therein is the Compass of the World and they that dwell therein it is thou only that givest a blessing to the fruits of the Land to the Corn to the Wine and to the Oyl It is thou only that commandest thy blessing in the store-houses and in all that thy servants do set their hands unto Lord make me one of thy faithful servants that what thou hast sent me may be a Testimony of thy love and not of thy hatred make me allways to magnify thee in the time of plenty and not to be high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in thee the living God who givest me all things richly to enjoy O suffer me not to treasure up the deceitful riches of this sinful world as thereby forgeting to be rich toward thee but as from thy bounty I receive these temporal blessings so in thy mercy make me abound in grace that allways having Sufficiency in all things I may abound to every good work In this my prosperity prepare me for adversity if it shall please thee at any time to send it unto me give me a sence of the afflictions of many of thy saints and distressed servants and enlarge my heart that I may be ready and forward to contribute to their necessities make me to shew mercy with cheerfulness and to possess with thankfulness what thou sendest unto me that I may neither â—orget thee in thy poor members nor deny thee to be the giver let me never stop mine ears at the cries of the distressed who beg for relief in the name oâ— thy self Thou Christ who wert rich didst for my sake become poor that so through thy poverty thou mightest make me rich Lord make me as willing to the poor for thy sake always considering that the Vanities of the earth are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed Make me labour for heavenly riches and for the ornament of the hidden man in the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in thy sight of great price make me O heavenly Father rich in thy self rich unto liberality rich in good works and in faith make me to buy of thee gold tryed in the fire that I may be rich and white rayment that I may be clothed that the shame of my nakedness may not appear let me always remember that great account which one day I must render to thee the Lord of Heaven earth that so I may serve thee here with my substance in my body and in my Soul with zeal and devotion and hereafter be received to thine everlasting glory through the merits of thy Son in thy bosom Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen A Prayer in time of adversity FAther of pitty and Lord of comfort thou that hearest the cry of the afflicted look down in mercy on a distressed Sinner thy hand O God is heavy upon me for thou hast taken from me what I called mine by reason that I did not call it thine O Lord thou knowest my bleeding heart my sorrowful eyes and my mourning tears thou seest how poor I am and what miseries I suffer I am a scorn to my neighbours and a derision to those that are round about me my life is become a burden unto me because thou hast deprived me of the comforts thereof my lovers and my acquaintance stand looking upon my misery and my â—insmen stand asar off Lord if it be thy pleasure thus to humble me let it be thy goodness to give me patience to endure it the pride of my heart my forgetfulness of thee in the time of plenty did cry aloud for thy severest punishments now O now I feel thy just displeasure and groan under the burden and weight thereof yet thou O Lord canst ease me thou canst restore me hear Lord and have mercy Lord be thou my helper suffer me no more to rely upon the arm of flesh or to put my trust in uncertain riches but make me forever to depend upon thy bounty forgive me O Father the sins which I have committed when I lived in prosperity for I am sensible that they are a cause why at this time thou hidest thy face from me and causest me to be troubled O give me a sight and sence of the greatness of them and true contrition and sorrow for them that so though the world forsake me I may yet find favour
and mercy in thy sight without thy assistance this sore burthen is too heavy for me to bear Lord either remove it from me or make it easier for me to bear Lend me thy gracious and helping hand that as I am scourged with thy rod so I may lean upon thy staff let me never despair of thy comfortable relief but in all my miseries be thou my refuge be pleased to endue me with patience from above that I may give no advantage to the Tempter in my suffering open the eyes and the charitable hands of those that should see and know mine adversity and so enlarge their hearts that they may administer relief and comfort to me in the midst of my necessities O thou that feedest the young ravens which call upon thee thou that didst bless the poulse to thy servant Daniel be pleased to fill my hungry Soul with the blessings of thy bounty grant that whatsoever I suffer in my body my Soul may thereby draw near unto thee in the misery of hunger do thou satisfy me with thy grace in my scorching thirst do thou cause me with joy to draw water out of the wells of Salvation in the pinching cold do thou warm my devotion and in my poorest and meanest habit do thou cloth me with the Righteousness of my Redeemer O suffer me not to offend thee in my greatest want but make me rely depend upon thee Teach me by this chastisement the vanity of the World and wean me from the fond delights thereof and carry me so through the storms of this troublesom life that in the end I may arrive at the happy haven of eternal peace and rest through thy own merits and passion O Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen A Prayer before the receiving of the Sacrament O Most gracious and merciful Lord God thou hast called all those that are weary and heavy laden with their sins to come unto thee and hast promised to ease and refresh them thou hast invited all those that hunger and thirst after thy Kingdom and the righteousness thereof to come to thy Table to tast of thy Supper and hast promised that thou wilt satisfy them in assurance therefore of these promises I come to thee blessed Lord Jesus beseeching thee to ease me to refresh me to satisfy me with thy mercy for my Soul hungers and thirsts after thee thy Salvation I confess and acknowledge that my dayly sins have made me unworthy of my dayly bread much more of this Manna this Bread of life that came down from Heaven I confess O Lord I am not prepared according to thy preparation of thy Sanctuary yet for as much as this day I have set my heart to seek to thee thou O God be merciful unto me and though I cannot bring with me a clean heart for who can say his heart is clean yet behold O Lord I bring with me a contrite heart and a broken spirit despise not O God this Sacrifice As for the sins that I have committed against thee bind them up into one bundle and cast them into the bottomless Sea of thy mercy bury them in thy wounds and wash them away in the blood of that immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus and for the time to come sprinkle my Conscience with the same blood that being cleansed from dead works I may serve thee the living God in righteousness and true holiness all the days of my life that so this blessed Sacrament may be a means to quiet my Conscience to increase my faith to inflame my charity to amend my life to save my Soul and to assure me that I am of the number of those blessed ones who shall eat at thy Table and be called to the marriage Supper of the Lamb. Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ his sake in whose name and words I conclude these my imperfect prayers saying as he himself hath taught me Our Father c. A Prayer after the receiving of the Sacrament O Most gracious God from whose bounty every good and perfect gift is derived I and all that is within me praise and magnify thy holy name for all thy mercies and favours which from time to time thou hast bestowed upon me But especially I thank thee for Jesus Christ thy Son the fountain and foundation of all blessings and benefits that thou hast sent him into the world to take our nature upon him and to die for us and that thou hast fed me who am unworthy of the least of thy favours with the precious merits of his death and passion Blessed Lord God thou hast been pleased this day to set thy seal to the pardon and forgiveness of all my sins oh let me not lose it again by unthankfulness or relapsing into my old sins from which thou hast purged me lest my last end be worse than my beginning But if hereafter I shall be tempted by the Devil allured by the world or provoked by my own flesh then set before mine eyes by the remembrance of thy Spirit how dear the expiation of my sins cost my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ even the effusion of his most precious and holy blood that in the contemplation of his death and application of his most bitter passion I may die dayly unto sin and so may shew forth the Lords death till he come and bring his reward with him I may receive the Crown of Righteousness which he hath purchased and prepared for all those that love and expect the day of his appearing with the precious price of his incorruptible blood And whereas I have this day renewed my covenant with thee my God in vows and purposes of better obedience assist me by thy grace and strengthen me by thy power that I may pay the vows which I have made unto thee and that by vertue of thy heavenly nourishment I may grow up in grace and godliness till at last I come to be a perfect man in Christ Jesus Preserve and maintain always this thine Ordinance that it may be a note and a badge of my publick profession and give unto all of us that have been partakers of thy body and blood one heart and one mind in the unity of Spirit for the worthy and reverend receiving of the same whensoever we shall come to thy holy Table again and for this thy mercy towards me do I yield unto thee all praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and might and majesty through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose most blessed name and words I further pray Our Father c. The Prayer of a Virgin BLessed Lord Son of a Virgin who didst honour Virginity when thou tookest our nature hearken to the cryes of a lamenting Maid Lord I am not worthy to come unto thee I am not worthy to receive any favour from thee for I have forsaken thee my most indulgent Husband and have followed other Lovers My soul is too much polluted to be called thine too often
my fortress my strength in whom I trust my buckler the horn of my Salvation and my high Tower O save me now in this heavy distress and deliver thy servant hear me O Lord in this day of trouble O God of Jacob deâ—end me Give an happy end to these my torments that I may enjoy the fruit of my Womb for which I suffer them O Lord in mercy if it may stand with thy eternal decree preserve both my life and the life of my issue arm me with patience to undergo these pangs and in the end give me comfort in what thou shalt send me but if otherwise thou hast determined to end my life by these heavy torments O my sweet and merciful Jesus receive me into thy bosom that I may pass from misery to eternal happiness Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me and mine and grant my petitions for the worthiness of that most merciful and blessed Son of a woman thine only begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour in whose most holy name and words I pray Our Father c. A Prayer of a Woman after her delivery O Merciful God and heavenly Father who hast now most especially made known unto me that thou art able to do more exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think make me thankfully to rejoyce in the works of thy love and thy tender mercy thy favours are great and wonderful in sparing the life of my self and mine Infant and freeing me from my pangs and it from the Darkness of the silent Womb. Thine O Lord is thy power by which I am delivered thine is the mercy by which I am safely returned into my bed thine is the work of the frame and fashion of this my Babe thine therefore shall be likewise thy glory for ever and ever Grant blessed Father that I may never forget thy goodness but may express my thankfulness in new obedience Make me careful to perform what service I promised thee in the extremity of mine Anguish As thou hast given me the fruit of my body to the joy of my heart so give me the fruit of Righteousness sown in Peace Give me the Wisdom which is from above that is full of good Works without hypocrisy Lord make me thy servant by grace and make this child thy child by adoption mercy give me comfort in its life for the sorrows which I endured at his birthâ— Give thy blessing on the meanes for the nourishment of this Child Give it strength that it may live to receive the seal of thy Mercy in the Laver of Baptism and do thou be present with thy blessing when the sign shall be administred O let it live if it be thy blessed Will and grow up in wisdome and in stature and in grace both with thee and with men that so I may magnifie thy Name for making me an instrument to propagate the number of thine Elect. Take pity upon all that suffer afflictions especially on those Women who are in Labour with Children Give them comfort in the time of their miseries ease from their Torments joy in their desired Issue and thankfulness for thy blessings Lord grant that both I and they may sing praises to thy Name for the greatness of our deliverance and express our thanks in our godly lives that when this painful life shall have end we may sing triumphantly in Eternal Glory through Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour in whose most blessed Name and words I conclude my imperfect Prayers saying as he himself hath taught me Our Father c. The Prayer of a Widdow O God in the knowledg of whom is the perfection of all joy at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore thou makest the comforts of this life momentany that we may not overprize them and yet hast made them requisite that we may not undervalue them I a late sharer of this worlds happiness but now a sad witness of its Vanity do here address my self to thee the only Crown of all my joys in whom there is no variableness nor shadow of change Lord thou didst give me what my unthankfulness hath taken from me but thou hast taken from me what thy goodness hath promised to Supply Thou hast given and thou hast taken blessed be thy name for ever Thou then O God who art not less able to perform then willing to promise whose mercy is more ready to bestow then my misery is to beg strengthen my faith that I may believe thy promise encourage my hopes that I may expect thy performance quicken my affections that I may love the Promiser Be thou all in all unto me that am nothing without thee Sweeten my misery with the sence of thy mercy and lighten my darkness with the Sun of thy glory Seal in my heart the assurance of adoption that I may with boldness call thee my Father sanctifie my affections with the Spirit of meekness that my conversation may testify that I am thy Child wean my heart from worldly sorrow lost I mourn like those that have no hope But thou my Bridegroom and let our marriage-chamber be thy heart Own me as thy Bride and purifie me with the odours of thy spirit prevent me with thy blessings protect me by thy grace preserver me for thy self and prepare me for thy Kingdom be thou a Father to bless me be thou a husband to comfort me in the midst of my want be thou my plenty in the depth of my mourning be thou my mirth Raise my glory from the dust and then my dust shall shew forth thy praise Supply all my wants for the sake of Jesus Christ my blessed Lord in whose most holy words I further pray Our Father c. The Prayer of an Orphan ALmighty God and heavenly Father who art a Lord of comfort and a God of Consolation look down upon a sinful and distressed Orphan beâ—eâ—â— of the joy and help of earthly Parents It was my own unworthiness of so loving parents that hath made thee to take them away from mine eyes my disobedience to their commands and my neglect of honouring them according to thy laws hath provoked thee to anger and to deprive me of them O Lord forgive me my manifold offences and remember thy promises which thou hast made unto the fatherless and that I may be capable of those thy promises give me grace to become thy child by obedience thou O Lord art my Father to whom belongeth honour thou art my Master and requirest me to fear thee Lord make me fear to offend thee who art a righteous Judg and make me love and honour thee who art a gracious Father be with me in all the ways wherein I shall walk in this mortal life comfort me in my sorrows support me in my miseries provide for me in my wants and in all places and at all times be thou my Father my Rock and my strong salvation do thou defend the poor and fatherless do justice to the