then in our Secular Affairs there be frequent occasions for Meditation there must needs be frequent opportunities for Prayer too at lest for Mental Devotion And how easie a matter is it for any man at the business of his Vocation to lift up his heart with some such Ejaculations as these O Lord dispose the way of thy Servant towards the attainment of everlasting salvation O Lord direct sanctifie and govern both my heart and body in the ways of thy laws and in the works of thy commandments Prevent me O Lord in all my doings with thy most gracious favour and further me with thy continual help I humbly beseech thee O Father mercifully to look upon my infirmities O Lord grant me such strength and protection as may support me in all dangers and carry me through all temptations O Lord create and make in me a new and contrite heart O Lord keep me both outwardly in my body and inwardly in my soul O Lord give unto me the increase of Faith Hope and Charity O God mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule my heart We have a great number of such useful and holy Petitions in our Liturgy which if people would take but a little pains to fix in their Memories their hearts would be always ready ready for God ready with Sweet Incense to offer up to him so ready provided that honest Tradesmen in their very Shops painful Husbandmen at the Plough and the poorest Servants at the Mill would not be at a loss for some Godly Prayers to send to the Throne of Grace at every turn to be united to the intercessions of the Lord Jesus for us all III. But the best way to strengthen and increase in us a spirit of Devotion is constantly to attend the Publick Assemblies and to bear our parts in them at the House of God For this reason God loveth the Gates of Sion more than all the Dwellings or Private Houses of Jacob because at the Sanctuary the Prayers of his Saints are most fervent Thither we go to sing aloud unto God our strength to make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. There we meet together to offer up all our praises with one Heart and with one Lip There our Joynt Devotion conglomerates in its right Center There every one helpeth to inflame his own Zeal and his Brethrens also There spark mixeth with spark and all serves to set fire to the Sacrifice This therefore is the chief thing I would recommend to your Christian care and practice to attend with all possible diligence the publick and solemn service of God What a shame is it that the ways of Sion should mourn for want of comers to the Temple That the fire and the wood should be in a readiness and the Lambs be missing Men little think of those severe times when the Primitive Christians were wont rather than fail to rise up at Midnight and to steal and creep away into Holes and Caves to Pray and sing Praises together How joyful were all Pious Hearts in those peaceable times following when they saw Christian Churches erected and the Doors of them open so that they might without fear or danger enter in to worship God in the Beauty of Holiness What Multitudes thronged in to offer violence to the Kingdom of God in this sense and as Tertullian speaks to Beleaguer Heaven with a great Army And with Alacrity and Zeal did they send up their joynt Prayers when as St. Jerom tells us their Amen was like the noise of Thunder And how can we reflect on those happy Ages without lamenting the great Degeneracy of this when it is so hard a matter to perswade some people to repair though it be but once a day to the solemnities of God's Worship For God's-sake and your own Souls-sake let me at last perswade you What is Priest and Parish but one large Family and why should we not meet once aday especially I wish it might be oftner to pray unto God our Father to be Merciful and Gracious and provident for us all And where can we meet so properly so decently so conveniently as in our common Fathers House who hath called us all unto Hope and unto one Business Are our Families so little that we cannot spare so much as one out of an House to be Advocate and Intercessor for the rest Is the distance from the Church so great that you should count it more tedious then a Sabbaths Days journey Are our Sins so few and inconsiderable that there is no need of our Prayers for Pardon Is our business so urgent that we cannot spare a few minutes for the Honour of God and for the good of our Souls Have we lost no time that is necessary for us to redeem Our own safety and preservation and the Blessing of God upon all our Labours and the prosperity of the whole Kingdom are these such trifling things that we should not think it worth our while to step over our Thresholds to meet together at Prayer for them For God's sake let us in time lay to heart the things which thus manifestly belong to our Peace If nothing else can make us serious and thoughtful a Death-Bed will and then it may be too late because we may not be serious to good purpose Whether we shall be then true Penitents or truly Devout is a thing uncertain For it depends altogether upon the Grace of God and Men may Sin their time of Grace away Our safest course is to provide for Eternity betimes and not to harden our hearts but to hear the voice of God and to answer it with an Eccho of Prayers and Praises while it is yet called to Day And as many as walk according to this rule Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the whole Israel of God Amen Forms of PRAYER which may be used at Home every Morning and Evening daily MORNING PRAYERS O Lord our Heavenly Father Almighty and Everlasting God who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day Defend us in the same with thy mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no Sin neither run into any kind of Danger but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance to do always that which is righteous in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. O Almighty Lord and Everlasting God vouchsafe we beseech thee to direct sanctify and govern both our Hearts and Bodies in the ways of thy Laws and in the works of thy Commandments that through thy mighty Protection both here and ever we may be preserved in Body and Soul through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ PRevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy Holy Name and finally by thy Mercy may obtain Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. O Almighty and most Merciful
God of thy bountiful goodness keep us we beseech thee from all things that may hurt us that we being ready both in Body and Soul may chearfully accomplish those things that thou wouldst have done through Jesus Christ our Lord. ALmighty and Everlasting God give us the increase of Faith Hope and Charity and that we may receive that which thou dost promise make us to love that which thou dost command through Jesus Christ our Lord. GRant to us Lord we beseech thee the Spirit to think and do always such things as be rightful that we who cannot do any thing that is good without thee may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will through Christ our Lord. LOrd of all Power and Might who art the Author and giver of all good things graft in our Hearts the Love of thy Name increase in us true Religion nourish us with all goodness and of thy great mercy keep us in the same through Jesus Christ our Lord. ALmighty God who hast given thine only Son to be unto us 〈◊〉 a Sacrifice for Sin and also an Ensample of Godly Life give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable Benefit and also daily endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy Life through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. GRant O Lord we beseech thee that the course of this World may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness through Jesus Christ our Lord. ALmighty and Everlasting God who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the Sins of all them that are Penitent Create and make in us new and contrite Hearts that we worthily lamenting our Sins and acknowledging our Wretchedness may obtain of thee the God of all Mercy perfect remission and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord. WE humbly beseech thee O Father mercifully to look upon our infirmities and for the glory of thy name turn from us all those Evils that we most righteously have deserved and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living to thy Honour and Glory through our only Mediator and Advocate Jesus Christ our Lord. O God who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers that by reason of the frailty of our Nature we cannot always stand upright grant unto us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name c. EVENING PRAYERS LIghten our darkness we beseech thee O Lord and by thy great Mercy defend us from all Perils and Dangers of this Night for the love of thy only Son our Saviour Jesus Christ ALmighty and Everlasting God mercifully look upon our infirmities and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy Righthand to help and defend us through Jesus Christ our Lord. ALmighty God who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our Souls that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the Body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the Soul through Jesus Christ our Lord. O Lord we beseech thee mercifully hear our Prayers and spare all those who confess their Sins unto thee that they whose Consciences by Sin are accused by thy merciful pardon may be absolved through Christ our Lord. GRant we beseech thee Almighty God that we who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ALmighty and Everlasting God who dost govern all things in Heaven and Earth mercifully hear the supplications of thy people and grant us thy peace all the days of our Life through Christ our Lord. O Lord who hast taught us that all our doings without Charity are nothing worth send thy Holy Ghost and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of Charity the very bond of Peace and of all virtues without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake O Lord God most Holy O Lord most Mighty O Holy and most merciful Saviour deliver us not into the bitter pains of Eternal Death Thou knowest Lord the secrets of our Hearts shut not thy merciful Ears to our Prayers but spare us Lord most holy O God most mighty O holy and merciful Saviour thou most worthy Judge Eternal suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of Death to fall from thee O God whose blessed Son was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil and make us the Sons of God and Heirs of Eternal Life grant us we beseech thee that having this hope we may purifie our selves even as he is pure that when he shall appear again with power and great Glory we may be made like unto him in his Eternal and Glorious Kingdom where with thee O Father and thee O Holy Ghost he liveth and reigneth ever one God World without end GRant O Lord that as we are Baptized into the Death of thy Blessed Son our Saviour Jesus Christ so by continual mortifying our corrupt affections we may be buried with him and that through the Grave and Gate of Death we may pass to our joyful Resurrection for his Merits who died and was buried and rose again for us thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. O Lord who never failest to help and govern them whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and love Keep us we beseech thee under the protection of thy good Providence and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord. O Lord we beseech thee let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church and because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness through Christ our Lord. UNto God's gracious mercy and protection we commit our selves The Lord bless us and keep us The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracions unto us The Lord lift up his Countenance upon us and give us peace both now and evermore Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy name c. Short PRAYERS fit to be learn'd by Heart and to be used by single Persons at any time LOrd have mercy upon me O God make clean my Heart within me And take not thy holy Spirit from me O Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World grant me thy Peace O Lord deal not with me after my Sins Neither reward me after mine iniquities Lord have mercy upon me and incline my Heart to keep thy Laws Grant that all Carnal affections may die in me and
which were used in the Primitive Ages and some of them the very same Forms that were throughly digested and put together by the great Men at the time of Reformation Great for their Learning Great for their Wisdom Great for their eminent Zeal and Piety and Love of Truth and the Greater still because afterwards they suffered for this Work by the hands and fury of the Romanists and some of them settled it at the stake with their last Blood In Composing that Book they did not consider how they might gratifie particular Fancies but how they might answer the necessities and provide for the real good of the whole Church And accordingly such Prayers were after much deliberation pitched upon as were most Profitable most significant and most moving And 't is observable of them that as they are generally short and therefore easie to be Learned and Remembred so they are very full too and so comprehensive for matter and signification that there is nothing needful for Soul or Body but what there are Petitions for and those too rellishing of such a Spirit of Piety as is enough to affect and move the dullest Hearts if our Minds do but go along with them and without that all the Prayers in the World will not work upon us VII In all our Prayers we must be sure to be Charitable When our Saviour gave his Church a Prayer of his own Composing he directed us to pray in the Plural number even at our private Devotion When thou Prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret And after this manner pray ye Our Father which art in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread Forgive us our trespasses And lead us not into temptation Matth. 6. 6 9 11 12 13. Next to our serving God all our business in this World is to do our selves and others all the good we can and because the condition of our nature is so scanty and weak that it is not in our power to do all that is needful with our own hands therefore we must apply our selves to him from whom every good and perfect gift cometh that he may supply all Mens wants out of his own infinite and inexhaustible treasures Every one therefore must have a share in our Prayers because every one of us is in some want or other I exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men saith St. Paul in 1 Tim. 2. 1. For Kings and for all that are in Authority for one another saith St. James Jam. 5. 16. For them that despitefully use you and persecute you saith our Blessed Saviour himself Matth. 5. 44. Indeed this last direction about praying for ones Enemies is commonly look'd upon as a hard saying but the only reason is because there is so much ill nature in the World The Lord Jesus and his first Martyr St. Stephen did both go out of the World praying for their barbarous and blood-thirsty Enemies the very worst of Men. And that our Prayers may be as theirs were Holy and Efficacious they must proceed from sedate Minds from Hearts full of Gentleness Goodness and Compassion There are two things especially which infect all Prayer and turn it into Abomination The first is unreasonable Anger when Mens Passions are suffered either to start without just and sufficient cause ot to rise unto an immoderate Height or to last an undue time Such Heats are sinful and consequently as noisom Fuel in the Heart as the fire and brimstone of Hell Therefore St. Paul requires us to lift up holy hands without wrath 1 Tim. 2. 9. And this is one reason of that other command Ephes 4. 26. Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath because the Evening was wont to be a constant time for solemn Devotion Anger at best is a weak Passion in us an Argument of great infirmity in our Nature that shews how near of kin we are to the Beasts that perish Therefore amidst all Resentments we should govern our selves by God's Example whose Wrath moves with a very slow pace and endureth but the twinkling of an Eye Psal 30. 5. But when we approach to God we must be sure to keep out the Brutal part from mingling with our Devotion to bring our Minds to a right Christian temper and to speak unto the Author of Love and Peace without Coals in our Bosom and without any Warmth but that of Zeal and Charity 2. The other thing which corrupts all Prayer is Malice when that which ought to be a transient Passion settleth and fixeth into a wicked Habit so that the Mind becomes Implacable Irreconcilable and Revengeful This is utterly inconsistent with the Spirit of Christ's Religion which commands us to forgive a Brother that sinneth even till seventy times seven Math. 18. 22. That is as often as he sinneth and repents of it All that God himself requires at our hands is Prayer and Repentance And if this be the price of his favour surely we sinful wretched Men should think it enough to purchase each others Charity What Man is he that liveth and sinneth not And how can any of us expect Mercy if we shew none How can we hope with our crys and importunities to move the Bowels of God as long as we have no Bowels our selves Or which is the same thing none but what we shut up from our fellow Creatures It is a peremptory Sentence Matth. 6. 15. If ye forgive not Men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses It is observable that our Saviour took hold of frequent occasions to inculcate the necessity of mutual Charity and Mercifulness as one great Characteristical note of a Christian indeed And that we might continually remember it and be afraid to neglect it He inserted it into that Prayer which we are to use as daily as we need our Bread Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And with what confidence can an uncompassionate and uncharitable Man look up to the Father of Mercies with that or any other Prayer in his Mouth What is this but to bring a Curse upon himself instead of a Blessing What is this but a ready way to have all his Prayers flung back upon his face with Indignation and Scorn since it is the rule of God's proceedings that he shall have judgment without mercy who hath shewed no mercy Jam. 2. 13. VIII To all these necessary Qualifications of Prayer I must add in the last place that we must Pray with Reverence For though this be the least considerable thing because it is an external bodily gesture which bears no proportion to the necessary dispositions of the Soul yet it is of such moment that if we pray not in an humble manner it looks as if we did not consider or know what a weighty business we are about A cover'd Head a heavy Eye a stiff Neck