into thy welbeloved Sonne acknowledg Lord the mark of thine adoption in him We know O God of inestimable puritie that our sinnes drive us back far away from thee But thy deare Sonne who is made for us by thee wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption not only washeth us with his bloud to becom acceptable unto thee but withall maketh giveth us entrance into thy Sanctuary boldnes by his death to approch with assurance to the throne of thy grace to be heard in due time Graunt grace unto this sick person to free the point of death with an holy and Christian resolution Redouble his courage at that present houre that his soule is upon the point to behold thy face wherein is fulnesse of joy And amidst the violent dartings of those sighs which accompanie the last acts of his life give him perfect clearâ—esse of judgement accompanied with calmenesse of spirit evermore to acknowledge his true and only God that drawes him out of the desarts of this world to live happy in the Heavenly Ierusalem and who withdrawes him out of the bottomlesse depths of wretchednes to bring him to live in heaven heaped with eternall blessings Command thy holy Angels which thou incampest round about those that feare thee and which watch for the welfare and safety of thy children that they beare the soule of this thy servant up into heaven the sacred Temple of thy glory most gloriously resplendant with happinesse and honour where he shall clearely see that which his spirit adores here below and where he shall injoy that divine and celestiall harmonie which the blessed Spirits make unto thee uncessantly and the eternall joyes which cannot be valued and where he shall live in continuall admiration of those incomprehensible bounties in the presence of his Spouse thy beloved Sonne Iesus Christ To whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory for evermore So be it 4. Another Prayer to bee said when the Sicke is in extremity 37. O Lord our good God and most mercifull Father who being overcome with the bowels of thy tender mercies hast sent down thy beloved Sonne to save sinners and hast been pleased that this thy Sonne was bound to loose us condemned to absolve and free us that he died to give us life yea that he was made a curse to the end that we might be made a blessing of God in him We beseech thee to graunt this grace unto this sick person to repose and relye himselfe on the certainty of faith for the full remission of his sinnes upon that entire and perfect satisfaction which thy deare Sonne whose bloud was once offered up to abolish the sinnes of many hath made unto theâ— upon the Crosse For it is certaine that thou wilt not the death of a sinner but that he be converted and live Thou bruisest not in thy displeasure those that thou hast redeemed by his death thou dost not precipitate into that eternall gulfe those whom thou hast ingrafted and regenerated in that great Mediator and Saviour of the world when as calling upon thy mercy they shal be converted with their whole heart unto thee That when Satan our adversarie who like a roaring Lion goeth about us endeavouring to devoure us maketh himself a party against this sick person in this his last conflict setting before him the checkroule and catologue of his sinnes and thy rigorous judgment to astonish and to precipitate him into despaire give him grace to shield and ward himselfe as with a target and buckler to repell and beat back the fierie darts of that enemie with the truth and assurance that the bloud of thy Sonne Iesus cleanseth from all sinne Fortifie then and animate O God of invincible power and our firme hope this thy child with the strength of thy Holy Spirit at this present houre that his soule being disburdened of the miseries which presse him yea set free from the captivitie of his body is ready to go unto thee And in that houre wherin the earth claimeth in his person what we have borrowed of her have pitie Lord on thine owne image and despise not the works of thy hands Behold Lord the teares the plaints the sighes the groanes and the contrition of the heart of this sicke person and our prayers that we may acknowledge in his person thy clemency the mother of our hope thy succours the source of our life and that indeed thou art our sacred and saving refuge And as for us which remaine in this vale of miserie graunt us this grace that as thy people being captive in Babilon had the comfort to direct and lift up their eyes towards Ierusalem the place wherein thou didst manifest unto them thy glorious and gracious presence that even so amidst the captivitie of this world where we see nothing but confusion and where vice raigneth and thy honour is dis-esteemed we may have our eyes towards thee as on the sole object and subject of our joy and rejoycing seeing in thy face is the fulnes of joy and at thy right hand are perfect pleasures for evermore Even so O thou God of inestimable bounty and goodnes and who hast chosen us out of the world to follow thy holy will we beseech thee that when thou shalt call us out of this world to place our soules in the company of those who by faith have overcome Kingdomes have done righteousnesse and have obtained the promises and who are written in the Booke of Life of the Lamb. In the meane time O Lord arme us with patience and in the midst of our troubles make us sensible by a lively feeling that our light affliction which is transient and soone over produceth in us a waight of glory wonderfully excellent and that leaving by death these visible things which are but of small continuance we shall injoy those that are now invisible to our eyes which are abiding for ever in Iesus Christ and by Iesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory for ever Amen 5. A Prayer when the sick is in some grievous perplexitie 38. O God and Father of all mercy who art wise in thy counsels true in thy word and admirable in thy works yea who keepest thy deare children as the apple of thine eye In as much as now we see that now it is even at this time that it wil be thy pleasure to withdraw this thy sick child out of this mortall world We beseech thee enter not into account with him to punish him nor reprove him in thy displeasure neither chasten him in thy wrath But remember Lord he hath beene called in thy Church and in the number of thine Elect to be washed and sanctified by thy grace in the name of Iesus Christ thy deare Sonne who took upon him our griefs and hath undergone the burden of our sorrowes that by his wounds we might receive health whereof his baptisme hath beene the badge Wash then Lord who art in
thou hast so graciously preserved us unto this present houre by reason of our sinnes our life is exposed to an infinitnes of inconveniences and in the mean time we still subsist and are filled with thy good things Our being and our welbeing Lord we should hold it of thee we ow it to thy free grace and meere mercy to thee alone for the same be all glory for evermore But O our most gracious God it is most necessary for us that thou continue thy gracious favours unto us otherwise what thou hast hitherto done for us would turn to our confusion Leave us not then for then we shall perish thou hast created and redeemed us not to destroy us but that we might have eternall life Shed forth then upon us thy more especiall favours and above all the grace of thy holy Spirit Thou that hast washt us from our sins in the precious bloud of thy Sonne Sanctifie also our soules by thy Word and according to thy promise For Lord shall we enjoy Iesus Christ and his benefits without our serving of thee without magnifying of thee And what honour shall we render unto thee or what acknowledgment unlesse thou thy self confer upon us both the will and hability of performance The will and desire to honour thee We already have of thy free grace give us also the power of performance Give it us Lord with efficacy and according to thy good pleasure graunt it unto us and at the most humble and fervent request which we make unto thee for the same Give us not over neither to the malice of our enemies nor to our own perversnes let neither of them hinder us in thy service nor let us not give them any subject of dishonoring thee let our example serve for our conversion That they seeing the holines of our lives may lose their wils to hurt us and may gain an affection to know thee aright to acknowledg thee O God according to thy Truth according to their duty Let us not O Lord abuse our health and present prosperity Grant we may imploy them to the glorifying of thee and to the advancement of thy work with faithfulnes and every one according to his vocation whereunto thou hast called us above all that in the midst of our greatest repose we may prepare our selves for afflictions to the houre of death and for the fruition of our eternall rest When thou shalt visit vs with thy rods that it may be in thy mercy and for our amendment when thou shalt call us that it may be in thy grace and for our salvation whether in prosperity or in adversity whether sound or sick whether living or dying we may evermore confesse thy truth and do nothing which may be unworthy of our profession nothing which not seriously testifies our repentance for our sinnes our desire of thy grace our seeking of thy glory the peace of our soules the comfort of our consciences and the assurance of our salvation in thy welbeloved Sonne IESVS CHRIST In his Name we further pray thee to conferre the same good things on all our kinsfolks and friends call unto thee those that know thee not and strengthen those that already have thy feare Establish maintaine every where and make effectuall the Ministerie of thy Word for the conversion consolation of al thine Elect and for the enlarging of thy glory of the Kingdome of Iesus Christ Keep our King and all His grant Him a long Raigne in thy feare and for the good of of thy Church Let his subjects O Lord and above all we who are instructed by thy Gospell render unto him and unto all our Superiours all obedience unto which thy Word obligeth us Make thine own sensible of the bitternes of thine afflictions rejoyce them also in the sweetnesse of thy comforts so moderate and terminate thy corrections that they may be wholsome unto them Above all we beseech thee for them which have need of thy succours in this Church deny them not thine assistance heare their prayers and ours comfort them and deliver them that they and we may praise thee solacing our selves in thy goodnes And because O God it is onely our sins which are able to hinder us from hoping to receive from thee that which we ask of thee as thou pardonest us our sins in thy Son graunt us grace voluntarily to renounce all iniquitie so shal not the course of thy grace be interrupted so shall we have experience both in our prayers of the Truth of thy promises and in our whole life Yea even unto the last gasp therof the continuance of thy fatherly mercy in the same thy welbeloved Sonne in whose Name c. A Prayer for him who after he hath beene worthily prepared to receive the holy Communion approcheth to the Lords Table 9. O My God O my Father I have had experience of thy mercy in the whole course of my life especially since thou gavest me the knowledge of thy Truth and of my salvation and at this present time Lord thou openest before me the treasure of all thy riches thou presentest and offer'st unto me whole Iesus Christ with all his benefits Seeing then O God of my salvation seeing thou wilt that I should obey thy Word that I should draw neare unto thy Table Alas suffer not nor permit that it shal be to my condemnation But O good God far be it from me that I should admit any such feare For thou hast touched my heart with serious repentance I am right sensible that thou strengthenest my faith and reachest forth unto me thy hand thy selfe to receive me this day thou that art the Authour of my salvation O happy day wherein I protest before thee to detest my sinnes to renounce mine iniquity to be admitted unto the participation of the Sacrament of the New Testament Good God give me now the grace to shew forth the death of my Saviour grant that in his sufferings I may discern how great was thy wrath how exact thy justice against our sinnes seeing that to blot them out thou hast not spared thine owne Sonne Graunt also I may acknowledg thankfully thy infinite mercy towards us in that for us thine enemies thou hast given unto death the just thine onely Sonne But Lord give me to admire the never to be paralel'd love which thy Sonne beareth me in that he hath undergone both my sins and thy wrath to affoord unto me the food of eternall life O how wonderfull art thou in thy bounties Seeing that this day thou wilt by visible and sacred signes augment my joy and present to the view of mine eyes thy celestiall and invisible graces At this instant thou wilt give me an assured pledge of my conjunction with Iesus Christ And by him with thee O my Father as also with thy holy Spirit Now shall I be assured that Christ is in me and I in him O excellent Vnion sith it bringeth to passe that I have peace with thee
varietie of formes wherewith thou hast distinguisht them and as thou now bringest upon the earth the brightnes of the day and of the Sun bring also Lord upon my soule the brightnes of thy holy Spirit that according to the mesure that my arms shal be imployed for the maintenance of my body the thoughts of my soule may be engaged in the invocating of thy holy grace thorow the conduct wherof wee may walke so on thorough the wayes of this sensuall and corruptible world that I may not go astray from the celestiall and incorruptible That if my senses deceived by the pleasing baites and delicious objects which offer themselves in the world would seduce my reason hold them back Lord by the hope of pleasures infinitely greater which are proposed to them which live according to thy holy will and by the feare of the paines 〈◊〉 number 〈◊〉 â—â—out measure which 〈◊〉 them that forsake the way of thy commandements to follow that of their flesh And seeing that to lead me to thy mercy thou hast been pleased that the Author of light that eternall wisedome came downe upon earth and there abode for a time that he might converse amongst us to light the lamp of our soules by the fire of thy holy Word Infuse Lord by the same bounty the cleare light which thou hast put therein by the operation of thy holy Spirit that in thy wedding day we finding our selves adorned with the wedding garment of thy grace we may be led into the participation of thy celestiall glory A Prayer for the Evening 19. LOrd in as much as thine unsearchable wisdome hath been pleased to divide our whole life into labour and rest and every one of our dayes into light and darknes and yet appointest them both to serve thy glory Now at this houre that it hath pleased thee to shut in this day and to call me from my labour to sleepe I lift up my hands unto thee and offer unto thee for an Evening Sacrifice my heart and my tongue and revolving and ruminating in my thoughts that favour wherewith thou hast from morning unto this evening sustained my life conducted my actions guided my steps directed my hands governed my thoughts turned away the temptations of the world I forme in my voice in the best manner I am able a thanksgiving and song of praise to thy infinite goodnesse And therefore albeit I know well that in my works there is a great deale more want then good yea not to file upon the account but that which proceedeth from my self the whole must needs be damnable I conjure thy sacred mercy that it will make them acceptable by powring forth on them that infinite grace which thy deare Son hath purchased for the world which alone giveth perfection and sanctification unto all the actions of men Now that I go to yeeld my eyes unto sleepe graunt my body may take rest in bed my soule withall may repose in the bosome of thy Son Iesus Christ And thy Holy Spirit watching over me may remove far away froÌ„ me all unclean concupiscences foolish imaginations and uncouth dreames and deliver me from all feare saving from that of thy sacred and severe judgment and so moderate the course of my sleep that repairing my strength of body it may not lull it asleep in idlenes but let me awake at a fit houre and exercise my self in holy prayer thus all the dayes of my life sliding on one after another untill it shall please thee to change this temporall into an eternall rest thorow the intercession of him that hath purchased as with the price of his bloud our SAVIOVR IESVS CHRIST Amen A Prayer for our finall obtaining of victorie by Iesus Christ. 20. O Almighty God sith we are filled with so many concupiscences which must needs pollute the pure and sacred gifts of thy Holy Spirit graunt we may take in good part the chastisements which thou sendest us to tame and bring under the said concupiscences and that as we acknowledg thee to be our shepheard we may yeeld up our selves to be governed by thy shepheards staffe profiting daily under thy chastisements and tasting in thy severitie of thy bounty that we may not be discouraged but walking on forward thorow mis-reports and disgraces yea even thorow the midst of death for thy Names sake that we may rejoyce in thee esteeming all things losse for the price of the knowledge of thy Sonne who giveth the same Spirit that hath sanctified us which also strengtheneth us That being partakers of that unction of the Holy Ghost we may withall be partakers of the victorie of thy Sonne IESVS CHRIST A Prayer for the preservation of the Church 21. ETernall Lord God strong pitifull mercifull slow to anger abundantly plentifull in thy free mercy and truth keeping Covenant to a thousand generations taking away iniquity transgression and sin We beseech thee that we may find favour before thine eyes pardon our iniquities and our sins and possesse us fill us with thy Spirit in wisdome in understanding in knowledge teach us that which we are to do so that we may apply our hearts to thy Word and may not hold on our course of sinning nor follow the multitude to do evill But that we may seriously obey thy voice keep thy covenant may be ranked amongst all people thy most precious jewell although all the earth is thine and we are unto thee a kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation dwell thou in the midst of us and be our God Preserve our houses and when thou shalt passe thorow the countrey â—o strike and to exercise judgement let there be no wound unto destruction among us bedeaw with the bloud of the Lamb our threshold and both our doore-posts look upon that bloud and passe by the doore and suffer not the destroyer to enter into our houses to strike that we may know thou puttest a difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites Graunt thy children may grow and increase into exceeding great abundance may be multiplied and reinforced mightily so that even the earth may be replenished with them and the more it shall afflict them the more they may multiplie in all abundance Be moved with compassion towards them which sigh and crie let their crie come up unto thee looke downe upon their affliction Another Prayer for the Church 22. LOrd thou takest no pleasure in the death of a sinner but hadst rather that he should turne from his way and live Powre not forth thy furie upon us heape not thy wrath upon us judge us not after our wayes but let thine eye spare us and have compassion upon us for we are thy sheep the sheep of thy pasture and thou art our God Hide not then thy face from us but powre forth thy Spirit upon us Graunt we may have all but one heart and put into us a new spirit Take from us our heart of stone give us a heart of flesh that we may walk in
thy statutes may keep thy ordinances may do them and be thy people and thou our God So shalt thou make known the Name of thy holines in the midst of us shalt be sanctified in us in the presence of the Nations and we will consider in our hearts will regard and look on with our eyes will hearken unto with our eares what ere thou speakest unto us concerning all thy ordinances and thy Lawes Save thy flocke that it may not become a prey raise up Pastors thy servants that may feed it with wholsome food And let them whom thou hast set for watchmen in thine house hearken to the words of thy mouth and give warning from thee Give them a mouth opened amongst us that the sheep which are dispersed thorow the want of a shepheard and which are exposed to be devoured and they which err and are strayed out of the way over the whole surface of the earth may be drawn home and gathered in and that thou maiest feed them and give them rest seek out that which is lost bring back that which is driven away bind up that which is broken strengthen that which is sick and those that are afarr off amongst the Nations and those that are scattered upon the earth be thou unto them a safe Sanctuarie in the countries wherein they are Sanctifie thy great Name which hath been prophaned among the Nations let them know that thou art the Lord that thou maist be sanctified among them and that the earth may shine abroad with thy glorie A Prayer to be affected with Spirituall things and to renounce the world 23. LOrd we are rebellious against thy Truth and have not been obedient to thy righteousnes nor have put in practise thy Law whence our condemnation is just Yet Lord saith was imputed to Abraham for righteousnes Graunt it may be so also imputed to us and that we may obtaine mercy Seeing Christ died for us and he is the end of the Law righteousnes unto all beleevers and that whosoever beleeveth in him shall not be confounded And for that they that are according to the flesh are affectioned to the things of the flesh but they that are according to the spirit unto the things of the spirit And in as much as the affection of the flesh is death but the affection of the spirit is life and peace Let thy Spirit dwell in us and let us put on the Lord Iesus Christ and let us not be carefull for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Knowing that Christ being risen againe from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him For in that he died he died once for sinne but in that he liveth he liveth unto thee Also we summe up thus our account that we are dead unto sin but live unto thee in Iesus Christ our Lord and that we shall appeare all before his judgment-Seat and that every one of us shall render an account for himself Let then thy feare be before our eyes having in horror all evill cleaving unto that which is good that we lay no stumbling block or occasion of falling before our brother but may walk in charity loving our neighbor as our selves being fervent in spirit serving thee joyfull in hope patient in tribulations persevering in prayer That we may offer up our bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing unto thee which is our reasonable service and let us not fashion our selves unto this present world But let us be transformed by the renewing of our understanding that we may search out what thy good pleasant and perfect wil is And be it that we live we may live unto thee be it wv die we may die unto thee that whether we live or whether we die we may be thine For therefore died Christ and rose againe and returned unto life that he might have dominion both over the dead and over the living We commend unto thee all thy Churches let the weak in faith be strengthened grant there may be the obedience of faith thorow out all nations Let every knee bow before thee and let every tongue give thee praise Let all nations praise thee Lord and let all people celebrate thee Relieve the poore and afflicted and make them partakers of spirituall good things Furnish them with the things of this life assist them in every thing they stand in need of thorow Iesus Christ Grace be with us and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ A Thankesgiving and a Prayer on the same subject 24. O Our God and Father which raisedst from the dead Iesus Christ who gave himselfe for our sinnes to the end that according to thy will he might withdraw us out of this evill world To thee be glory for ever and ever Amen 'T is thou Lord that hast called us by thy grace and hast revealed unto us thy Sonne who hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law when he was made a curse for us that we might receive the promise of the Spirit by faith knowing that man is not justified by the works of the Law but onely by faith in Iesus Christ in whom we have believed that we might be justified by faith Give us to obey thy Truth furnish us with thy Spirit which may produce thy vertues in us And because we are thy children send the Spirit of thy Sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father so that being thy children we may be thine heires thorow Christ and that we may walk according to the spirit not fulfil the lusts of the flesh because what a man soweth that shall he reape also For he that soweth to the flesh shall reape of the flesh corruption But he that soweth to the Spirit he shall reape of the Spirit life eternall That we may live by the Spirit and may walk also in the Spirit the fruit whereof is love joy peace patience gentlenes goodnes faithfulnes meeknes temperance And as they which are Christs have crucified the flesh with the Iusts thereof that we may be crucified with Christ and may live not now we but that Christ may live in us and that what we now live in the flesh we may live in the faith of thy Son who hath loved us and gave himselfe for us that it might not happen unto us to glory in any thing save in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the world may be crucified unto us and we unto the world And that in him we may be new creatures not growing carelesse of well doing seeing we shall reape in due season if we grow not slacke Wherefore whilst we have time let us do good unto al men but especially unto the houshold of faith And all they that shall walk according to this rule peace be upon them and mercy and upon thy Israel O God Work with efficacie by those unto whom the preaching of the Gospell is committed That they which know thee not and who serve those that
by nature are no gods may know thee and may be knowne of thee and may not to be turned back to the weak and beggarly rudiments which they would serve That all they that are baptised may put on Christ and that we may be all united in Iesus Christ our Saviour Let thy grace be with our spirit Amen A Prayer to be filled with Charitie 25. LOrd I beseech thee I may abound in faith and charity that I may yeeld up my self wholly first unto thee and then according to thy will unto my brethren knowing the gracious favour of our Lord Iesus Christ namely that he became poore for me although he was rich that by his poverty I might be made rich That my abundance might supply their wāt that I might have both a forwardnes of will thereunto and an habilitie of bringing the same into action also according to my meanes That it may relish of bounty not of close-hand niggardlinesse Knowing that he that soweth sparingly shall also gather sparingly and he that soweth liberally shall gather also liberally That it may not be unwillingly or by constraint seeing thou lovest a chearefull giver and art able to make to abound all grace in me to the end that having alwayes all sufficiencie in all things I may be plentifull in every good work as it is writ he hath scattered abroad he hath given to the poore his righteousnes abideth for ever Now thou Lord that givest seed to the sower be pleased also to give unto me bread to eat and multiplie my wealth augment the revenue of my righteousnes and that I may be enriched in all franknes of liberalitie The Kings Prayer Samuel II. 26. LOrd thou hast anointed me to be King thou hast accepted me to be the Leader of thy People be with me be thou with me be thou my Father and I shal be thy Son Let not thy free mercy depart from me Make an everlasting Covenant with me Keepe me whither soever I shall go Protect me from the hand of all them that shall rise up against me Establish the throne of my kingdome blesse thou thy servants house that it may be blessed for ever Graunt my dominion over men may be just that I may govern in thy feare O God and that I may raigne doing judgement and justice to all my people even as thou hast commanded me and that I may be acceptable unto thee Another Prayer of the Kings Chron. I. 27. O God give me an upright sound heart that I may keep thy commandements and thy testimonies and thy statutes that I may know and serve thee with an upright heart and with a willing mind For thou Lord searchest the hearts and knowest all the imaginations of the thoughts thereof graunt I may raigne doing judgment and justice to all thy people that I may be thy Sonne and that thou mayst be unto me a Father Establish the throne of my Kingdome for ever Be with me that I may prosper and build thy house O Lord my God Give me wisdome and understanding and teach me how to governe and how I may keep thy Law knowing that then I shall prosper if I take heed to do thy statutes and judgments which thou hast commanded Fortifie me and double in me my strength keepe me wheresoever I go blesse also thy servants house that it may be alwayes before thee and may be blessed for ever Give peace and rest unto thy people in my time Graunt thy Name may abide firme and be magnified for ever The Peoples Prayer for the King 27. BLessed be thou O Lord our God that hast accepted our King to set him upon the throne because thou hast loved us and hast establisht him to the end to do judgment and justice Shew thy great mercy unto him and that he may walk before thee in truth in righteousnes and uprightnes of heart Be with him magnifie his Throne lengthen his daies and let him live for ever Let there be peace to thee-wards alwayes for him for his posteritie for his house and for his Throne Give him riches and glory so as there hath not been the like unto him amongst Kings Let him be greater then all the Kings of the earth both in riches and in wisdome Let him walk in thy wayes to keep thy ordinances and thy commandements and let there ever be in him divine wisdome Put his enemies under his feet Give him rest round about him and let him have no adversitie nor evill lucke Let his people be very numerous as the sand which is on the sea shore Let him have peace round about him on every side and let neither them nor their children turne back from thee but keep thy commandements and thy statutes which thou hast set before them that men may know that thou art God in this Kingdome and that we are thy servants A Prayer of the faithfull that fervently desireth to participate in the publike exercises whereof he was deprived 28. O Lord of Hosts how amiable are thy Tabernacles My soule ceaseth not to desire greatly and even languisheth after thy Courts my heart and my flesh leape for joy after thee O mighty and living God O how happy are they that dwell in thy house which praise thee uncessantly O how happy is the man whose strength is in thee and they that go by troupes to present themselves before thee in thy Temple For better is a day in thy Courts then a thousand elswhere I had rather be a doore-keeper in thy house O my God then to dwell in the Tabernacles of the wicked For Lord God thou art unto us a Sunne and a shield thou givest grace and glory and withholdest no good thing from them that walk in integrity O my God I seek thee by the day breake my soule thirsteth after thee my flesh desireth thee as in a desart land I am athirst and without water to see thy face and thy glory as I have beheld thee in thy Sanctuary for thy free mercy is better then life therfore shall my lips praise thee and so will I blesse thee whilst I live and will lift up my hands in thy Name Satisfie my soule as it were with honie and with fatnes and let my mouth praise thee with a song of rejoicing Be my helper and I will rejoice in the shadow of thy wings My soule shall cleave unto thee to follow thee and thy right hand shall hold me up Another Prayer out of the second Epistle of St. Iohn 29. LOrd cause thy Truth to abide in us and to be alwayes with us and let us be ever found walking in the Truth according as we have received thy Commandement Let us love one another and walk according to thy commandements taking heed unto our selves that we lose not that we have done but rather that we may receive our full wages and that our joy may be full Grace mercy and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of the
as the last of our dayes shal be the first of our rest Yet that the death of the righteous is the sun-set of their woes and the sun-rising of their felicities but herewithall it may be also unto us an example to contemne this world where we do but offend thee to breath after with our whole hearts the celestiall Ierusalem wherein we shall injoy with Iesus Christ our Spouse unspeakeable and eternall pleasures whose excellencies surpasse all understanding according to that holy promise which he hath made us to be gone up thither there to prepare us a place to be with him injoying eternall glory Expecting then that most happy houre when thou wilt call us out of this world and where our salvation which is shut up in hope shal be fully revealed unto us Inable us powerfully to comprehend the excellencie of our Calling and what are the riches of thy glory in that heavenly inheritance of thy Saints and what the excellent greatnes of that power is to us ward that believe thorow operation of the power of thy strength which thou hast effectually exprest in thy Sonne Iesus Christ when thou raisedst him from the dead and madest him sit at thy right hand in heavenly places above all principalitie and power strength and dominion and above every name which is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come To the end that being strengthened and corroborated in the inward man we might walk on as becommeth that Calling whereunto we are called in all humilitie and meeknes and with a patient mind bearing with one another in deare love being carefull to keepe the Vnitie of the Spirit in the Bond of peace seeing we are called into the hope of our Calling To thee O great God Father of all which art above all amongst all and in us all with thy Sonne in the unitie of the Holy Ghost be honour and glory for ever Amen Vnto him that feareth God to die is to be borne FINIS A PRAYER to be said in the Morning at our Vprising O Most glorious God most gracious Father and most mercifull Saviour seeing it hath pleased thee to graunt me the gracious favour to have passed this night and to come unto this present day be likewise graciously pleased to adde herewith also unto me the benefit and abilitie to imploy the same wholly and altogether unto thy service in such sort that I may neither thinke say nor doe any thing but what may bee well pleasing unto thee And comply with the obedience unto thy blessed will and pleasure That so all my words may tend to the glory of thy Name and edification of my neighbours And as it hath pleased thee to make thy Sunne to shine upon the earth to inlighten our bodies so likewise be pleased by the bright beames of thy Spirit to illuminate my understanding â—nd my heart to direct and guide me in the saving way of thy righteousnesse so that unto whatsoever I apply my selfe evermore my principall end and Intention may bee to walk in thy feare to serve and honour thee expecting all my happinesse and welfare from thy onely blessing that so I may take nothing in hand but what is agreeable to thy blessed Will and Commandements As also that so travelling for the body and this present life that I may ever looke further namely unto that heavenly life which thou hast promised unto thy children Yet so Lord that it may please thee both in body and soule to bee my protector strengthening me against all the temptations of the Devill and delivering me from all dangers which may befall mee And because it is nothing to begin well unlesse it be seconded with perseverance Reâ—â—â—â—me not onely for this day into thy sacred protection but even for the whole course of my life coâ—tinâ—e and daily augment and increase in thee thy Heaâ—â—â—ly Grace â—ntill thou hast brought me unto the full fruition of thy Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord who is the true Sunne of 〈◊〉 soules that shineth day and night without end and for ever And that I may obtaine these graces from thee bee pleased to forget all my sinnes past and by thy infinite mercies to forgive mee them as thou hast promised unto all them that by faith in Iesus Christ the Sonne of thy love accompanied with true repentant sorrow for their sinnes heartily seeke thy mercie in the pardon of their sinnes by Iesus Christ to whom with thee and thy Holy Spirit one true and everliving God bee all honour and glory now and for evermore Amen A PRAYER TO 〈◊〉 said before going to bed O Lord God sith it hath pleased thee to create the night for the rest of man as thou hast ordained him the day for his travell Graunt me the grace so to take rest this night in body as that my soule may alwayes watch unto thee and that my heart may be raised up in thy love and that I may so cast off and lay asâ—de all earthly cares that I may bee refreshed as mine infirmitie shall require that I never forget thee but that the remembrance of thy bounty and grace may remaine evermore so deepely imprinted in my memorie that by that means my conscience may have as well her spirituall rest as the body taketh his And withall let not my sleepe bee excessive inordinately to please the ease of the flesh but onely to satisfie the frailtie of nature the better to dispose me to thy service Be also pleased to keep me unpolluted in my body as in my minde And to preserve mee against all dangers that my sleep may bee to the glory of thy Name And seeing there hâ—th not a day passed whâ—â—â— I have not many wayes ofâ—â—â—â—â—â— thee according as I am a poorâ— wretched sinner even as all a now covered by the darkenesse which thou sendest upon the earth graunt likewise all my sinnes may bee buried thorow thy mercy that by them I may not bee deprived of the light of thy countenance Heate mee most gracious God and loving Father for Iesus Christ his sake Amen THE MANNER of questioning those that are to bee received to the Supper of our LORD IESVS CHRIST Question IN whom believest thou Answer In God the Father in Iesus Christ his Sonne and in the Holy Ghost Q The Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are they more then one God A. No. Q Must we serve God according to hi◠〈◊〉 or according to the traditions of â—â—n A. We must serve him according to his Commandements and not according to the commandements of men Q. Canst thou fulfill Gods Commandements of thy selfe A No. Q. Who is it then taht fulfill them in thee A. The Holy Ghost Q And when God hath given thee his Holy Spirit canst thoâ— perfectly fulfill them A. No in no wise Q And yet God curseth and reiecteth all those that doe not perfectly and entirely fulfill his Commandements A. It is true Q By what meanes then canst thou be saved and delivered from the curse of God A. By the Death and Passion of our Lord Iesus Christ Q How by the meanes of his Death and Passion A. Because by his Death he hath purchased us life and hath reconciled us unto God his Father Q. Vnto whom prayest thou A. Vnto God Q In whose name prayest thou A. In the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ who is our Mediator and Intercessor Q. How many Sacraments are there in the Christian Church A Two Q. Which are they A. Baptisme and the Lords Supper Q. What is the signification of Baptisme A. It hath two parts For our Lord doth therein set forth unto us the remission of our sins and then our regeneration or spirituall renewing Q. And what signifâ—â—th the Sâ—pper A. It setteth forth unto vs that by the Communion of the Body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ our soules are nourished in the hope of eternall life Q What do the Bread and Wine set forth unto us in the Lords Supper A. They set forth unto us that the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ have such vertue and strength unto our soules as Bread and Wine have unto our bodies Q Conceivest thou that the Body of Iesus â—hrist is inclosed and contained uâ—der the Bread and his Bloâ—d under the Wine A. No Q Where then must we seeke Iesus Christ to have the fruition of him A. In heaven in the glory of God his Father Q What is the meanes to come unto heaven where Iesus Christ is A. It is faith Q. We must then have true faith before we can have the right use of this holy Sacrament A. So we must Q. And how can we come by this faith A We attaine unto it by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in our hearts and assureth us of the Promises of God which are made unto us in the Gospell FINIS
faithfull Soule Touching the present affliction of the Church 1. O LORD our good God and gracious Father wee thy poore creatures humbled before thy face are bold to present our selves before thy holy and high majesty although we be but dust and ashes thou dwellest in inaccessible light but wee by nature are plunged in darknesse thou art a consuming fire but we are as the chaffe thou art soveraigne righteousnesse and we are poore sinners thou art the fountaine of life and we by nature are in death Yet O Lord thou hast commanded vs to call vpon thee in our necessities with promise to heare vs and hast given us thine owne Sonne to be our Intercessor promising vs to give us the things we shall aske in his Name thou hast called us with an holy calling and amidst the thick darknes of ignorance wherewith the earth is couered thou hast enlightened us with thy knowlege and received us into the number of thy children yea every one of us severally hath beene sensible of thy particular assistance and fatherly succours in the whole course of his life But O Lord the greater thy favours are towards us the guiltier are we of ingratitude for we have abused thy graces and thy feare hath not beene before our eyes Wee have despised thy word and have not reverenced it After the fires and massacres whereof we are but a remnant and as a firebrand pluckt out of fire thou hast re-establisht us and hast given us dayes of peace and of refreshing but we have abused our repose and turned it into licentiousnesse and loosenes We have had more care to build againe our owne houses then to advance thine we have run after the gaine and vanity of this world In stead of cloathing the poore we haue arrayed our owne bodies sumptuously Wee have rent and torne our selves with quarrels and enmities and are thereby become contemptible to our adversaries our prayers have beene cold our zeale languishing our almes skanted and therefore hath our iniquitie abounded and our charity been frozen In stead of drawing the ignorant unto the knowledg of thee by our good life we have scandalized exasperated them by our evil conversation When we have had humane strength and meanes and when thou raisedst up among us Princes and Potentates who seemed they would be a firme prop unto thy Church and and an assured shelter and place of retrait during the storme we have leaned on the arme of flesh in stead of relying on thee alone O God which castest downe and abatest the pride of the loftiest and raisest up the miserable out of the dust thou liftest up and bringest low the degree therfore hast thou cast us downe and humbled us and hast made us know the vanitie of our thoughts contrary to thy counsells yea even the Ministers and Preachers of thy word have failed in their charges and in many places evill and prophanation is issued and come foorth frâ—m the Prophets and indeed in these yeares of peace are seene the revolts of many which had the leading of thy flocke For these causes O Lord God thou just Iudge thy wrath is kindled against thy people being confounded in our selves wee acknowledge that thy chastisements are just yea Lord far lesse then we have deserved thou hast covered our faces with confusion thou hast glutted us with bitternesse thou hast caused us to drinke of the cup of thine anger thou hast called us to weeping and sighing in sacke-cloath and ashes thou hast lifted up the hand of our adversaries and hast exposed us unto scorne and hast made thy hand heavie upon us thou hast plucked up the plants which thou hadst planted and beaten downe the Churches which thou hadst erected by the blood of thy Martyrs by the preaching of thy Gospell Thou hast broken downe the hedge of thy providence which environed thy Church and hast exposed it as a prey to wilde beasts And now Lord we see that in the places where thy Gospell was purely preached even there at this day ecchoeth forth alowd forgerie and idolatrie is againe established and the enemies of thy truth insolently triumph and insult over the ruines of thy house Hereupon we have cryed unto thee but thou hast turned away thy face Thou hast covered thee with a cloud that our prayers might not come up unto thee and we see thy hand lifted up to smite us yet more rigorously and the rods prepared which thou displayest in thy displeasure Lord God justice belongeth to thee but unto us confusion of face wee acknowledg in all this which is come to passe the tokens of thy just displeasure and there is no evill in the Cittie which the Lord hath not done So it is that thou art our Creator and wee are the worke of thine hands thou art God we are thy people thou art our Redeemer and we are thine own purchase thou hast purchased us with a great price a people whom thou hast honored with thy knowledge thou art a mercifull God and of great benignitie slow to anger and dost not alwayes keepe it that takest no pleasure in the destruction of thy work It is thy goodnesse that we have yet any being It is of thy tender compassion that we are not utterly consumed thou dweilest in the highest heavens and in the humblest hearts the broken and contrite spirit unto thee is an acceptable sacrifice Now then O God look downe from the place of thy Sanctuarie to wit from the heavens heare the prayer of thy servants and accept their humiliation pardon Lord pardon the iniquitie of thy children for thine owne sake for the greater it is by so much the more admirable is thy goodnesse in pardoning it the greatnesse of our sinnes serveth to exalt thy mercie and withall thou hast received a sufficient ransome of thine owne Sonne and a redemption of infinite pricâ— whereon relying we dare approch unto the throne of grace to obtaine grace in due time For O God in these anguishes we see no meanes on earth but our eyes are towards thee Heare then from thy habitation and regard for thou art able to releeve us thou art not a God that art onely a God at hand and not a God a farre off even then when all humane meanes faile then is it that thou displayest thy strength and when thorough our foolishnesse we have procured unto our selves evils thou usest our foolishnesse for our good that the subsisting of thy Church might not bee a work of mans wisdom but of thy sacred providence Thou it is that in all former times hast succoured thy people and drewest them forth of the iron fornace with a strong hand and with an outstretched arme and hast carried them as upon the wings of an Eagle who even in our time hast made us sensible of thy succours by many deliverances and who deliveredst our fathers from many cruell persecutions having caused them to passe thorow many more grievous tryals then this thy tender compassions are not
whatsoever we shall ask in his name Receive then his Passion and his obedience for satisfaction for all our sins and in thy contemplation of his intercession be mercifull and favourable unto us give us thy holy Spirit to touch our hearts unto true repentance to enlighten our understanding with thy knowledge and to warme our spirits in thy love so that we may ever have thy glory for our end thy will for our rule thy providence for our guide and thy promises for our comfort And because we are inclined unto incredulitie and distrustfulnesse and are assaulted with diverse temptations strengthen us in faith and imprint in our hearts thy holy promises giving us inwardly a lively sense and feeling of thy love and the witnesse of our election to the end that we may stand against all temptations and may drive away all feares griefes and unprofitable sorrowes by the assurance that thou lovest us and art our Father in Iesus Christ our Lord. And as it hath pleased thee to have kept us this night past conduct us also this day by causing to shine upon us the brightnesse of thy face by directing us in all our actions so that our deeds our words and our thoughts may be conformable to thy holy will Blesse our studies open our understandings preserve our memories prosper our labours strengthen us in our callings wherein let us not have for our end our owne humour but the glory of thy Name nor our owne temporall profite but the salvation of our soules For the effecting hereof give us the grace to set our affections not on earthly things but that we may acknowledge our selves pilgrims and strangers upon earth may use the things of this world as though we used them not and as ready to lose them tending alwayes to the end of our heavenly calling expecting with joy and assurance that last houre wherein thou wilt draw forth our soules out of these bodies to make them partakers of thy heavenly glory And seeing it hath pleased thee to graunt us the favour to be borne in thy Church and hast receiued us even from our infancie into thy sacred Covenant grant us the grace seriously to acknowledge the greatnesse of so inestimable a benefit and to keepe even unto the end our soules unpoluted of all Idolatrie ready to beare the opprobrie of Iesus Christ and to suffer for the defence of thy truth if it shall please thee to call us thereunto To this end give us thy holy Spirit which may guide us and teach us rightly to imploy our time and to husband the occasions of learning by obeying our superiours whom thou hast given us to conduct and teach us that we may at length bring forth fruits which may serve unto thy glorie and may glorifie thee by our works and by our words both in life and in death Have pittie also upon thy Church diversly tossed defend it against the complots of thine enemies and ours repaire her breaches give her increase in thy graces and in the number of persons give us faithfull Pastors whose preaching may be pure and their life holy and Princes which may be nursing Fathers to thy Church Blesse and preserve our King enrich him with Christian and Royall Vertues Guide and direct the Queene be mercifull to our kinsfolks and friends grant both them and us grace to live in thy feare and to die in thy favour and to be received into thy glorie These things we humbly intreat thee for in the prayer which thy Sonne hath taught us Our Father which art in heaven c. I beleeve in God c. EVENING PRAYER 3. O Lord our good God we prostrate our selves before thy holy Majestie offering up unto thee our evening sacrifice in the acknowledgment of thy gracious benefits and of the speciall care which thou hast of us thy poore creatures thou hast kept us and led us forth this day thou hast given us things necessarie for this present life Be graciously pleased O good God to keepe us also this night and give good repose so that in our morning-wakeing wee may be sounder in bodie and fitter for our vocation wherein we pray thee that thou wilt be pleased to guide and direct us by thy holy Spirit making our labour fruitfull unto thy glory and to the edification of our neighbours and unto our owne salvation Whereof be graciously pleased to give a full assurance and to ingrave in our hearts the promises of thy holy Gospell that we being strengthened in saith may overcome all temptations and finish holily and couragiously our begunne course walking on not as before men but as before thee which proovest our hearts And seeing that a great combat is set before us and Satan is strong and the world contrary and we weak and slow and inclined unto evill hold us up by thy succours defend us by thy providence sanctifie us by thy holy Spirit and cloath us with strength from above and let thy Word imprinted in our hearts instruct our ignorance correct our perversity and heat our coldnesse and negligence in thy service give us fervent charity towards our neighbours a pure conscience faith unfained and fervent zeale unto the setting forth of thy glory Drive away from our hearts evill cares earthly sorrowes and unprofitable melancholies teaching us to repose our selves upon thy providence and to trust in thy promises to be sorrowfull onely for having offended thee but comforted in the assurance of thy mercies in Iesus Christ our Lord. Give us also things necessary for this present life not according to our vaine desires but according to thy wisdome what may suffice for the following of our Callings without lett and passe this our race with sobrietie whilst we advance on forward towards that eternall and most happy life which thy Sonne hath purchased for us And whilst we are in this temporall abode grant us the favour to see the kingdome of thy Sonne advanced and thy truth manifested and the ignorant yea even our enemies to be brought to thy knowledge to this end give us faithfull Pastors and Princes that may imploy their government to the establishment of the kingdome of thy Sonne give thy holy Spirit to the king and to the Queene and a good wholesome Councell for the repose and advancement of thy Church Take care of our kinsmen and friends and give them things neâ—dfull both for body and soule and that our iniquities may not stay the course of thy benefits pardon them Lord and blot them out by the precious bloud of thy Son in whose Name we ask these things of thee in the prayer he hath taught us saying Our Father which art in heaven c. I beleeve in God c. Amen A Prayer of Thanksgiving for finishing the Answer made to Mounsieur the Cardinall of Perron by Peter du Moulin 4. O Lord my God and Father I close this travell with thanks giving to thy Soveraigne Majestie I should be ungratefull to thy goodnesse if I
ended not my labour in thy praise O God that hast strengthened and enabled me It is thou whose strength is perfected in our weakenesse it is thou that choosest the lowly and meane to confound the strong and who in the weaknesse of the instruments thou imployest displayest the greatnesse of thy strength not unto us but to thy Name give the glory and the honour for who are we that we should be able to beare so great a burthen and what is our strength to sustaine so great a combat But that very Truth it self which we defend giveth strength to them that defend it and thou deniest not them thy succours that in defending thy cause have no other end but the glory of thy holy Name It 's thou my God who having been favourable to me from the beginning of my dayes wilt not forsake me in my old age and wilt make it yet profitable to the edification of thy Church being beaten with sundrie afflictions plucked from my flock bewailing the pressure of thy People disfurnisht with all necessarie aydes for so great a worke travelled of a sicknesse almost this two yeares which hath brought me within two inches of the graue and having in my ordinary vocation a sufficient taske to take up a whole man yet even against all appearance I have taken in hand this great labour and against my expectation am come to the end thereof through thy assistance I also hope O my God that thou wilt make fruitfull thy servants labor to the end to draw into the right way the minds of those who wilfully go not out of the way and who err but thorow want of instruction Against mine inclination I have imployed a multitude of humane testimonies in this worke for I know that thy Word alone is the rule of our faith and receiueth not men for judges in thy cause and I know well that a word which commeth forth of thy mouth is more worth then all the writings of all men But we are hurried away with the streame and are constrained to give place to the maladie of this age which holding thy word suspected as a dangerous booke searcheth into the writings of men wherwith to arme themselves against divine rules Wee shew unto the advocats of errour that they lose their cause even before the Arbitrators whom they have chosen but O God thou art mighty good to bring forth an age wherein thy Word alone shal be listened unto and whereunto for the sole unfolding and deciding of doubts thy Sonnes mouth shall onely be consulted withall Grant it O God and Father of all mercy and author of all consolation pittie the people that stoupe and stand still in so profound darknes cause to shine forth the brightnesse of thy Word before the eyes of all Nations as for me having traverst and struck through a way ful of thornes and with many infirmities defects which are in me sustained the contradiction of an age contrary to thy Word I am glad perceiving the time to draw nigh of my repose and my task to be so soone finished But thou O God wilt raise up workmen who with better successe shall labour in thy harvest and whom thou wilt cloath with thy Spirit in greater measure to defend thy holy Truth Lord it is thy cause Lord it is for thy sake that we are hated Awake thy jealousie and thine ancient compassions upon the people whom thou hast redeemed that many soules may be saved and thy holy name glorified for Lord though we be worthy to be forsaken and unworthy to be releeved yet ever art thou worthy to be glorified It is indeed a small matter that we are afflicted were it not that amidst our afflictions thy truth is oppressed and thy holy name blasphemed Attend then O God and Father of all consolation and heare and pardon for thine owne sake thou art wise in thy counsels just in thy judgements mighty to execute thy will but withall thou art full of tender compassion and true true in thy words Do then O Lord according to thy promise for thou hast promised not to forsake vs but to bee with us to the end of the world Thou that hast redeemed us from the power of Satan by the death of thy Sonne wilt deliver us also from the hands of those which oppresse us the time commeth and is not long to that out of the ashes of that burning which seeme extinguisht thou wilt cause to come forth a great brightnesse and wilt confound the tongues of Babell and wilt cause to fall outright the seat of the sonne of perdition In the meane time we will possesse our soules in patience whilst the full measure of their iniquitie be heaped up and we expect from heaven our Lord Iesus who will come to examine our cause and to render unto every one according to his workes Amen A Prayer to be said going to the Communion 5. LOrd great God have pitie on me a miserable sinner and grant me grace to lay hold on my Saviour by true faith and that being called to this holy and sacred banquet in the number of thy faithfull and elect and truly repenting of my transgressions and sinnes my soule may receive her spirituall nourishment the true bread of life which giveth salvation to the world looke upon me desiring ever to receive this holy and sacred spirituall meat Amen A thanksgiving after the Communion received 6. O My Saviour and my God I render unto thee humble thanks for the great benefit which thou hast this day bestowed on me as having thy selfe for a ransome for me for having pluckt me out of the pawes of the Divell and out of the depths of hell whither so many enormious sinnes had plunged me guide me by thy Spirit and give me grace that in overcomming the concupiscence of the world and the flesh I may finish the rest of my dayes in thy feare Amen HOLY PRAYERS A Prayer in forme of a Confession 7. LOrd my God and Father Almightie and most gracious to thy children I cast downe my selfe in thy presence acknowledging my selfe a poore and miserable creature guilty of high treason against thy divine Majestie For O my God I came into the world tainted with sinne polluted with iniquitie and through my evill conversation I have thorow the whole course of my life exceedingly augmented the same I have made infinite the number of my transgressions I have beene over unthankfull for so many blessings wherof it hath pleased thy bounty to afford me the fruition too often have I opposed to thy infinite goodnesse extreame ingratitude by my hypocrisie and dissimulation I have made my selfe utterly unworthy of that freedome and faithfulnesse wherewith thou hast entertained me I have beene deafe to thy admonitions have stopped mine eare at thy Word I have estranged my heart from thy instructions the feare of men hath hindred me from making free publike profession of thy Truth I have more feared the world
then I have loved heaven I preferred the preservation of my goods before the setting forth of thy glory earthly repose before eternall happinesse Alas Lord what punishments am I worthy of What torments have I deserved For my conscience accuseth me my sinnes call for vengeance against me and surely if the wages of the least of our sinnes be eternall death and if it be impossible for me to number my sinnes or to conceive the enormiousnesse of them how O thou God of vengeance how whilst I consider my selfe in my selfe shall I expect from thee with unspeakeable feare eternall and infinite punishments Yet O gracious God thy word teacheth us and experience witnesseth to us that thou wilt not the death of a sinner but that he turne unto thee and live so also hast thou thy selfe found out in thine eternall counsell the meanes of our deliverance and hast in the fulnesse of time sent into the world the eternall Sonne of thy love thy darling even he in whom thou art well pleased thou hast establisht him a Saviour and Redeemer for all those that hope in him by converting them unto thee He was made for us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption his bloud cleanseth us from all sinne he was despised to raise us unto glory he hath taken our nature to make us partaker of his he was borne the Sonne of Man to make us the Children of God he was full of sorrow to fill us with happinesse he was wounded for our sins and bruised for our iniquities upon him was laid the penaltie which brought us peace and by his bruises are we healed he came into the world to lead us to heaven he died to give us life he rose againe for our justification To conclude Lord thou so lovedst the world that thou gavest that spotlesse Lamb to the end that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have life everlasting And seeing O my God and Father of mercy that out of thy speciall favour it hath pleased thee in the midst of my errour even in mine infidelitie ingratitude to take pitie on me to give me thy knowledg and the resolution to follow thy Gospell seeing thou hast endued me with true faith in thy Sonne seeing thou hast touched my heart wherefore Lord shall I not have accesse unto thee with confidence Why shall I not approch with assurance to the throne of thy grace to obtaine mercy and to be releeved by thee in due time For though I be miserable art not thou mercifull If I be unrighteous wilt thou not cloath me with the righteousnesse of my Saviour Mine iniquitie amazeth me but thy goodnesse assureth me my unworthinesse estrangeth me from thee but the worthinesse of thy Sonne recalleth me back inviteth me and conducteth me to thee unto thee that art the God of my salvation that hast redeemed my soule from death that hast purchased me life everlasting and most happy O my God how great is my comfort how excellent the joy how precious and unspeakeable the repose which my soule enjoyeth in the meditation of these things Vnto thee onely then it is that I now addresse my selfe as to confesse my sinnes so also to acknowledge thy mercie as to condemne my selfe so withall to find absolution in thy Sonne If to be sorrowfull and to grieve for my sinnes so also to rejoyce and to comfort my selfe in thy bounty who shall lay any thing to my charge Is it not thou which justifiest me Who shall condemne me seeing that Christ died for me Seeing he is risen againe seeing that for me he is at thy right hand making request for my salvation and quest conservation Nothing O my God shall separate me from the love thou bearest me and seeing thou hast loved me in thy Sonne I shall in all things be more then victorious But what shall I render unto thee O Lord unto thee that hast delivered my soule from death mine eyes from teares and my feet from sliding Vnto thee O Lord that hast loosed the bands of death which compassed me about Vnto thee that hast converted and turned into joy the sorrowes of the grave which had overtaken me What shall I render unto thee O Eternall Lord for all thy benefits conferred upon me I will take the cup of salvation I will call upon thy Name I will pay my vowes before the people I am thy servant thou hast unloosed my bands I will sacrifice unto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving I will offer unto thee the fruit of my lips I will confesse thy Name thou hast purchased me with a price I will glorifie thee in my body and in my soule I am thine unto thee therefore will I present my selfe as a lively and holy sacrifice that may be pleasing and acceptable unto thee To this end O my God I crave strength from thee the conduct of thy Spirit thou hast already given me a will to serve thee produce O Lord in me not onely the will but withall perfect it with efficacie and according to thy good pleasure Of my selfe I can do nothing to thy glorie I perceive not the things which are of thy Spirit all the imaginations of the thoughts of my heart are altogether continually evill the wisdome the desires of the flesh is enmitie against thee It will not it cannot be subject to thy Law and yet by thy Spirit thou hast already given me the beginning of my regeneration Yet Lord though I will the thing that is good yet find I not the meanes to performe the same I do not the good that I would but I do the evill that I would not do It is to thee then that I have my recourse thou art the Author of every good gift the fountaine of life lyeth in thee in thy cleare light we see clearely and from thee onely is all our sufficiencie illuminate me by thy Spirit that being directed by the same I may render unto thee the service which I owe in the acknowledgment of all thy benefits Give me grace that to serve thee I may do nothing but what may be acceptable to thee that I may frame my selfe not unto mine owne fancie but according to thy will that I may do not what seemes good unto my selfe but what thou approovest that I may performâ— not mine owne designes but thy will not mine owne intentions but thy commandements not my will but thy Word Graunt I may propound unto my selfe for my end not the vanitie of the world but thy glory not my reputation but the manifestation of thy holy Name not my establishment on earth but the advancement of thy truth and of thy Church Give me to serve thee not unwillingly and by constraint but freely and with a good heart that I may be pricked forward not by the rigour of Menaces and the chastisements of thy Law but incited by the sweetnesse of the promises and benefits of thy Gospell that I may be not possessed with the Spirit of
honour and glory for evermore So be it 7. Another Prayer wherein supplication is made unto God to assist with his holy Spirit the Sick in his agonie 40. O Lord God and most gracious Father when we enter into a serious consideration of our estate certaine it is that we are in this world as upon a rough and tempestuous sea and that the winds and storms of temptations advance themselves and arise every minute against us and therefore is it that we humbly beseech thee that in this perillous passage thy Spirit may conduct and strengthen our brittle vessell that by the assistance thereof at the last we may happily arive at the haven of eternall salvation And especially we beseech thee for this thy sicke child to the end it may please thee to imprint by the effectuall power of thy Holy Spirit more and more in his heart charity and the love of thy Sonne in whose name we have remission of our sinnes that Persevering with invincible constancie unto the end in the faith and confession of the Name of his Saviour he may find undoubtedly in him whatsoever is requisite unto his assured blessednes Let that thy Spirit which inflameth that which is cold which erecteth what is fallen which giveth breath unto that which is weary cheare up by his vertue the feeblenes of this sick person and produce in him ardent sighs Which may be dissolved into the sweet raine of teares fruitfull unto his soule Let the Same thy Spirit be unto this sick person that which it was unto Elias the whirle-wind and the chariot of fire wherein he may be carried up to heaven Let it be the same that was the New Starre to the Wisemen of the East that by the guiding thereof he may come unto Iesus Christ not laid in the manger not any more passible but glorious and risen againe sitting at thy right hand above all powers and principalitie victorious over death triumphant over hell and Head and Consummatour of our faith And as thou shewedst unto three of thy Apostles in the mountaine when as thy Sonne was transfigured having his face shining as a radiant Sun a skantling and patterne of the glory and celestiall beauty which they should injoy whom thou hast chosen and incorporated into thy said Son So we beseech thee that during the small time which remaineth for us to passe the course of this life it may please thee to give us a continuall tast of that heavenly happinesse and an holy sense of thy glory with a firme and an assured peace of conscience founded upon thy love to walke in the strength of this consolation unto thy holy mountaine For in as much as this world is but a pilgrimage and a way wherein there is nothing to be found firme and wherein the more that men digge to build in it the more do they find unstable sand and unconstant agitations Where ought we Lord to seeke for the true foundation of our expectation and hope but in heaven And seeing that where the body is thither gather together the Eagles We beseech thee to raise up aloft the heart of this sicke person and ours unto thee that thy love may be a precious ointment to make us run and aspire after thee If David in the midst of his great riches thought himselfe a stranger and a forraigner as his Fathers if he said that his dayes were as a shadow upon the earth wherein there is no stay if he looked upon his Royall Pallace as upon an Inne whereout he was every houre to dislodge if he looked upon his Throne as upon a seat which he must leave and resigne over to another And if looking upon his Crowne as on a thing which was subject to fade in these terrestriall places he breathed after an incorruptible Crowne of glory how much more ought we out of the midst of the dust of this world to desire and to breathe after that glorious eternall Crowne where our heavines shal be turned into gladnes our poverty into eternall riches and our ignominie into incorruptible honours Graunt us this grace then O great God not only to despise the things which the world admires but also make us to take patiently the afflictions which invirone and assault us whilst we run this our mortall race For seeing thou hast ordained that they whom thou hast chosen should be made like to the image of thy Sonne not only in suffering but also in glory graunt us grace firmely to be sensible of in this world and truly to injoy in the other the effect of this holy promise which thy Sonne who is holy and true hath made unto those that partake in his afflictions namely that he will give unto him that shall overcome to sit with him upon his Throne so as he also that hath overcome sitteth upon the Throne of his Father For it is certaine if we beare here below the Crosse of his Son we shall weare also the Crowne of glory with him in heaven That if we drink gall and vinegar out of the cup of his Passion we shal be watered and thorowly moistened with the rivers of his pleasures and if we beare in our bodies the mortification of the Lord Iesus even so also the life of the Lord Iesus shal be manifested in our mortal flesh then al of us casting forth bright beams of glory and shining with splendor we shal be not only like unto Angels but even withall we shal be like unto thee to injoy thorow thee and with thee that thy glory and felicitie the which because our words fall farre short of our thoughts yet shorter of the greatnesse therof eye cannot behold eare cannot heare nor heart comprehend Graunt us these things O God who art goodnes it self love it self holines it self who givest us what ere we have wilt give us out of thy bounty and mercy the fruition of what ere we hope for in all eternity thorow thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honor and glory Our Father which art in heaven c. A prayer to be said after the sicke hath rendred his soule unto God for the comfort of the by-standers 41. O God and most merciful Father who hast created all things without necessitie who governest them without labour and who changest them thou thy selfe being unchangeable and whose sacred and perfect will is daily done on earth as in heaven We thank thee for this that it hath pleased thee to withdraw unto thee the soule of our brother making us to know in his death what our infirmity is and making us to behold as in a glasse the accomplishment of thine irrevocable sentence by which dust must returne to dust and the soule goe to heaven to him that gave it Graunt us this grace that this death may serve to make a serious impression in our thoughts not onely how his day is this day to die ours shal be tomorrow and that