That indetermination of the office may not introduce indifferency nor indifferency lead in a freer liberty or liberty degenerate into licentiousness or licentiousness into folly and vanity and these come sometime attended with secular designs lest these be cursed with the immission of a peevish spirit upon our Priests and that spirit be a teacher of lies and these lies become the basis of impious theoremes which are certainly attended with ungodly lives and then either Atheism or Antichristianism may come according as shall happen in the conjunction of time and other circumstances for this would be a sad climax a ladder upon which are no Angels ascending or descending because the degrees lead to darkness and misery 5. But that which is of special concernment is this that the Liturgy of the Church of England hath advantages so many and so considerable as not onely to raise it self above the devotions of other Churches but to endear the affections of good people to be in love with Liturgy in general 6. For to the Churches of the Romane Communion we can say that ours is reformed to the reformed Churches we can say that ours is orderly and decent for we were freed from the impositions and lasting errours of a tyrannical spirit and yet from the extravagancies of a popular spirit too our reformation was done without tumult and yet we saw it necessary to reform we were zealous to cast away the old errours but our zeal was balanced with consideration and the results of authority Not like women or children when they are affrighted with fire in their clothes we shak'd off the cole indeed but not our garments lest we should have exposed our Churches to that nakedness which the excellent men of our sister Churches complained to be among themselves 7. And indeed it is no small advantage to our Liturgy that it was the off-spring of all that authority which was to prescribe in matters of Religion The king and the Priest which are the Antistites Religionis and the preservers of both the Tables joyn'd in this work and the people as it was represented in Parliament were advised withal in authorizing the form after much deliberation for the Rule Quod spectat ad omnes ab omnibus tractari debet was here observed with strictness and then as it had the advantages of discourse so also of authorities its reason from one and its sanction from the other that it might be both reasonable and sacred and free not onely from the indiscretions but which is very considerable from the scandal of popularity 8. And in this I cannot but observe the great wisdome and mercy of God in directing the contrivers of the Liturgy with the spirit of zeal and prudence to allay the furies and heats of the first affrightment For when men are in danger of burning so they leap from the flames they consider not whither but whence and the first reflections of a crooked tree are not to straightness but to a contrary incurvation yet it pleased the Spirit of God so to temper and direct their spirits that in the first Liturgy of King Edward they did rather retain something that needed further consideration then reject any thing that was certainly pious and holy and in the second Liturgy that they might also throughly reform they did rather cast out something that might with good profit have remained then not satisfy the world of their zeal to reform of their charity in declining every thing that was offensive and the clearness of their light in discerning every semblance of errour or suspicion in the Romane Church 9. The truth is although they fram'd the Liturgy with the greatest consideration that could be by all the united wisdome of this Church and State yet as if Prophetically to avoid their being charg'd in after ages with a crepusculum of Religion a dark twilight imperfect Reformation they joyn'd to their own starre all the shining tapers of the other reformed Churches calling for the advice of the most eminently learned and zealous Reformers in other Kingdomes that the light of all together might shew them a clear path to walk in And this their care produced some change for upon the consultation the first form of King Edwards Service-book was approved with the exception of a very few clauses which upon that occasion were review'd and expung'd till it came to that second form and modest beauty it was in the Edition of M D L II and which Gilbertus a German approved of as a transcript of the ancient and primitive forms 10. It was necessary for them to stay somewhere Christendome was not onely reformed but divided too and every division would to all ages have called for some alteration or else have disliked it publickly and since all that cast off the Romane yoke thought they had title enough to be called Reformed it was hard to have pleased all the private interests and peevishness of men that called themselves friends and therefore that onely in which the Church of Rome had prevaricated against the word of God or innovated against Apostolical tradition all that was par'd away But at last she fix'd and strove no further to please the people who never could be satisfied 11. The Painter that exposed his work to the censure of the common passengers resolving to mend it as long as any man could finde fault at last had brought the eyes to the ears and the ears to the neck and for his excuse subscrib'd Hanc populus fecit But his Hanc ego that which he made by the rules of art and the advice of men skill'd in the same mystery was the better peece The Church of England should have par'd away all the Canon of the Communion if she had mended her peece at the prescription of the Zuinglians and all her office of Baptism if she had mended by the rules of the Anabaptists and kept up Altars still by the example of the Lutherans and not have retain'd decency by the good will of the Calvinists and now another new light is sprung up she should have no Liturgy at all but the worship of God be left to the managing of chance and indeliberation and a petulant fancy 12. It began early to discover its inconvenience for when certain zealous persons fled to Frankford to avoid the funeral piles kindled by the Romane Bishops in Queen Maries time as if they had not enemies enough abroad they fell foul with one another and the quarrel was about the Common Prayer Book and some of them made their appeal to the judgement of M r Calvin whom they prepossessed with strange representments and troubled phantasms concerning it and yet the worst he said upon the provocation of those prejudices was that even its vanities were tolerable Tolerabiles ineptias was the unhandsome Epithete he gave to some things which he was forc'd to dislike by his over-earnest complying with the Brethren of Frankford 13. Well! upon this the wisdome of
no particular 7 an office that leaves the form of ministration of Sacraments so indifferently that if there be any form of words essential the Sacrament is in much danger to become invalid for want of provision of due forms of Ministration 8 an office that complies with no precedent of Scripture nor of any ancient Church 9 that must of necessity either want authority or it must preferre novelty before antiquity 10 that accuses all the Primitive Church of indiscretion at the least 11 that may be abused by the indiscretion or ignorance or malice of any man that uses it 12 into which heresy or blasphemy may creep without possiblity of prevention 13 that hath no external forms to entertain the fancy of the more common spirits 14 nor any allurement to perswade and enâ—ice its adversaries 15 nor any means of adunation and uniformity amongst its confidents 16 an office that still permits children in many cases of necessity to be unbaptized making no provision for them in sudden cases 17 that will not suffer them to be confirmed at all ut utroque Sacramento renascantur as S. Cyprians phrase is that they may be advantaged by a double rite 18 that joyns in marriage as Cacus did his oxen in rude inform and unhallowed yokes 19 that will not doe piety to the dead nor comfort to the living by solemn and honorary offices of funeral 20 that hath no forms of blessing the people any more 21 then described forms of blessing God which are just none at all 22 an office that never thinks of absolving penitents or exercising the power of the Keys after the custome and rites of Priests 23 a Liturgy that recites no Creed no Confession of Faith so not declaring either to Angels or men according to what Religion they worship God but entertaining though indeed without a symbole Arrians Macedonians Nestorians Manichees or any other Sect for ought there appears to the contrary 24 that consigns no publick Canon of Communion but leaves that as casual and phantastick as any of the lesser offices 25 an office that takes no more care then chance does for the reading the holy Scriptures 26 that never commemorates a departed Saint 27 that hath no Communion with the Church Triumphant any more then with the other parts of the Militant 28 that never thanks God for the redemption of the world by the Nativity and passion Resurrection and Ascension of our blessed Saviour Jesus but condemnes the memorial even of the Scripture Saints and the memorial of the miraculous blessings of redemption of mankinde by Christ himself with the same accusation it condemnes the Legends and portentous stories of the most suspected part of the Romane Calendar 29 an office that out of zeal against Judaism condemnes all distinction of days unless they themselves distinguish them that leaves no signature of piety upon the Lords day and yet the Compilers doe enjoyn it to a Judaical superstition 30 an office that does by implication undervalue the Lords Prayer for it never injoyns it and does but once permit it 31 an office that is new without authority and never made up into a sanction by an Act of Parliament an order or Directory of devotion that hath all these ingredients and capacities and such a one there is in the world I suppose is no equal match to contest with and be put in balance against the Liturgy of the Church of England which was with so great deliberation compiled out of Scriptures the most of it all the rest agreeing with Scriptures and drawn from the Liturgies of the ancient Church and made by men famous in their generations whose reputation and glory of Martyrdome hath made it immodest for the best of men now to compare themselves with them and after its composition considered by advices from abroad and so trimm'd and adorn'd that no excrescency didremain the Rubricks of which Book was writ in the bloud of many of the Compilers which hath had a testimony from Gods blessing in the daily use of it accompanying it with the peace of an age established and confirmed by six Acts of Parliament directly and collaterally and is of so admirable a composure that the most industrious wits of its Enemies could never finde out an objection of value enough to make a doubt or scarce a scruple in a wise spirit But that I shall not need to set a night-piece by so excellent a beauty to set it off the better it s own excellencies are Orators prevalent enough that it shall not need any advantages accidental 47. And yet this excellent Book hath had the fate to be cut in pieces with a pen-knife and thrown into the fire but it is not consumed at first it was sown in tears and is now watered with tears yet never was any holy thing drowned and extinguished with tears It began with the Martyrdom of the Compilers and the Church hath been vexed ever since by angry spirits and she was forced to defend it with much trouble and unquietness but it is to be hop'd that all these storms are sent but to increase the zeal and confidence of the pious sons of the Church of England Indeed the greatest danger that ever the Common Prayer-book had was the indifferency and indevotion of them that used it but as a common blessing and they who thought it fit for the meanest of the Clergy to read prayers and for themselves onely to preach though they might innocently intend it yet did not in that action consult the honour of our Liturgy except where charity or necessity did interpose But when excellent things goe away and then look back upon us as our blessed Saviour did upon S. Peter we are more mov'd then by the nearer embraces of a full and an actual possession I pray God it may prove so in our case and that we may not be too willing to be discouraged at least that we may not cease to love and to desire what is not publickly permitted to our practice and profession 48. But because things are otherwise in this affair then we had hop'd and that in very many Churches in stead of the Common Prayer which they use not every man uses what he pleases and all men doe not choose well and where there are so many choosers there is nothing regular and the Sacraments themselves are not so solemnly ministred as the sacredness and solemnity of the mysteries do require and in very many places where the old excellent forms are not permitted there is scarce any thing at all but something to shew there was a shipwrack a plank or a cable a Chapter or a Psalm some who were troubled to see it so and fain would see it otherwise did think it might not be amiss that some of the Ancient forms of other Churches of the prayers of Scriptuâ—e should be drawn together and laid before them that need as supposing that these or the like materials would make better fuel for the
Amen A prayer against temptations III. O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ thy Name is great thy essence is infinite thy goodnesse is eternal and thy power hath no limit thou art the God and Lord of all Blessed for evermore Looke downe in mercie and compassion from thy dwelling heare our prayers and supplications and deliver us from all temptations of the world the flesh and the Devill Take not thy grace from us let us never want thy helpe in our needs nor thy comfort in the day of our danger and calamity Never try us beyond our strengths nor afflict us beyond our Patience nor smite us but with a Fathers rod * We have no strengths of our owne thou art our confidence our rock and our strong salvation Save us O God from the miseries of this world and never let us suffer the intolerable calamities of the next Rescue us from the evils we have done and preserve us from the evils we have deserved that we living before thee with clean hearts and undefiled bodies and sanctified spirits may at the day of Judgement be presented pure and spotlesse by the blood of the lamb that we may sing eternall Allelujahs in heavenly places to the honour of God our Saviour who hath redeemed our soules from death our eyes from tears and our feet from falling Grant this in the richnesse of thy mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then shall be added upon all Sundaies and Festivals of the yeare this following prayer and upon other daies as opportunitie is to be had all or some portions The prayers for kings c. and the state Ecclesiastical are never to be omitted but on ordinary daies it may suffice to recite them omitting so much of either as is included in the Columnes * The prayer of intercession for all states of Men and Women in the Catholick Church I. SAve us defend and keep us in thy fear and love O thou God of mercy and grace Give unto us the light of thy countenance pardon of our sins health of our body sanctification of our spirits peace from heaven and salvation of our soules in the day of our Lord Jesus Amen For the Catholick Church II. HEar our praiers for thy holy Church Catholick which thou hast redeemed with thy blood sealed and sanctified with thy spirit Extirpate all heresies and false doctrines unite all her divisions let her be prosperous under thy favour and the protection of Kings and Princes and the whole secular arme that she may daily celebrate thy Name with strict obedience and pure spiritual sacrifices that she may be accepted and prevaile in her daily and nightly prayers and that the gates of hell may never prevaile against her let her live in the spirit and reigne in thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen For the supreme power III. WE pray unto thee O great King of Heaven and earth for all Christian Kings Princes Governours and states Crowne them with justice and peace and with the love of God and the love of their people * let holinesse be the ornament of their heads invest them with the armour of righteousnesse and let the anointing from above make them Sacred and venerable wise and holy * that being servants of the King of Kings friends of religion Ministers of justice and patrons of the poor they may at last inherit a portion in the Kingdome of our Lord Jesus For the state Ecclesiastical IV. REmember all them that doe the Lords worke in the ministery and conduct of soules Give them great gifts and great holinesse * that wisely and charitably diligently and zealously prudently and acceptably they may be guides to the blind comforters to the sad and weary that they may strengthen the weake and confirme the strong separate the vile from the precious boldly rebuke sinne patiently suffer for the truth and be exemplary in their lives * that in all their actions and sermons in their discipline and ministrations they may advance the good of soules and the honour of our Lord Jesus Amen For all orders and states of men c. V. O Blessed God who art rich in mercie and compassion take care of all states of Men and Women in the Christian Church the Nobility and Gentry Magistrates and Judges Advocates and Physicians Merchants and Artificers Husbandmen and Tradesmen the Labourers and the Hirelings give them grace in their several callings to glorifie thee and to keep a good conscience both towards God and towards Man that they may find eternal comfort in the glorious day of our Lord Jesus For the miserable and afflicted VI. In mercie remember the poor and needy the widdowes and the Fatherlesse the strangers and the friendlesse the oppressed and the greived the Decrepit and the sickly the yong men and the tempted the weake of heart and the weake in body them that languish and them that are dying Releive their necessities comfort their sorrowes sanctifie their calamities strengthen their weaknesses and suffer not the Devil to prevaile over them in the daies of their sorrow and disadvantage and in thy due time deliver them from their sad bondage into thy glorious liberty of the sons of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. VII BE a guide to the travellers a star and a port to Mariners the comfort and strength of Miners and Gallislaves Pity good God all Gentlemen that are fallen into poverty and sad misfortunes strengthen and deliver all women that are in sharp and dangerous labour all them that roar and groane with intolerable paines and noisome diseases Have mercy and compassion upon all that are afflicted with illusion of the night and frightfull apparitions that are haunted or possessed with evill spirits or troubled with despairing or amazed consciences with the stone and with the gout with violent colics and greivous ulcers give them pity and give them patience a speedy deliverance from their calamity and a sanctified use of the rod of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. VIII WE pray unto thee O Blessed Father in behalfe of all that are in banishment captivity in fetters or hard services in want or extreme poverty in great fear or in any great passion Keep them from sinning against thee and from being swallowed by too great a sorrow Let the accidents of their lives be under the command of reason and of thy holy spirit and end in holinesse and comfort in peace and joyes eternall through the mercies of our God in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen For the preservation from danger and evill IX KEep us O God from famine and pestilence from Earthquakes and inundations from fire and sword from invasion by foreign enemies and from civil warres from false religion and from discountenancing the true let every Christian soule find pity at the throne of grace let all our errors and ignorances find pardon by Christ and remedie by the holy spirit of Christ hear all our praiers releive all our necessities
often forget our selves and still neglect and despise our owne danger III. BUt O God our Father mercifull and gracious have mercy upon us Be pleased to admit thy servants to a full pardon of all our sins let us not persevere in any one sinne nor passe from one sin to another Smite us not O God in thy anger and let not thy wrath descend upon our guilty heads Thy anger O God is insufferable thy vengeance is the portion of accursed soules and thou hast prepared the everlasting fire for the Devill and his Angels for ever O Lord thou Father of our life and lover of soules let us never have our portion in the bottomlesse pit in the lake that burueth with fire and brimstone for ever but let our portion be in the actions of repentance in the service of God in the aids and comforts of thy Spirit in dutie and holinesse in the light of thy countenance and in the likenesse and in the inheritance of our Lord Jesus O God let not thy arrowes smite us nor thy judgements consume us keep us from all expressions of thy wrath and let us rejoice in thy mercies and loving-kindnesses for ever and ever Amen IV. And that thy servants may reasonably and humbly hope for thy final mercies and deliverance be pleased to give us all that we need in order to the performance of our dutie and worke all that in us by which we may please thee Instruct us in thy truth and prepare the means of salvation for us providing for the necessities and complying with the capacities of evey one of us Take from us all blindnesse of heart and carelessenesse of spirit all irreligion and wilful ignorance Create in us a love of holy things and open our hearts that we may perceive and love and retaine the things of God with diligence and humility and industry O God our Father pity our weaknesses temptations our avocations and unavoidable divertisements the prejudices and evill contingencies happening in the state of our lives Enable us with sufficient and active graces to doe whatsoever thou requirest of us severally Require no more of any one of us then thou hast or shalt give unto us neither doe thou exact all that for we all confesse our weaknesses and defects our strange imperfections and inexcusable wandrings and omissions but be pleased to cure all our vitious inclinations and take care to remoove from us all those temptations which without thy mighty grace are not to be avoided and if they come are by our weaknesses not to be overcome Keep us O God from flattery and irreligion from vicious complyances and evill customes and let not the reverence of any man cause us to sin against thee keep us upright in our religion and worshippings of thee and let no change of the World engage us in a state of life against our duty for Jesus Christ his sake our Dearest Lord and Saviour V. Keep us O God by thy holy Spirit of grace from all the sins of idlenesse and intemperance from injustice and sensuality from the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes from the pride of life and vanity of spirit from being carelesse of our dutie of false in our trust from breach of promise or reproachfull language from slandering or traducing any man from false accusation and false witnesse from faction and envie Grant us thy grace that we may be diligent in our businesse just in our charges provident of our time watchfull in our dutie carefull of every word we speak O make us to be pleased in the offices of religion usefull to those that imploy us dutifull to our superiors loving to each other conscientious in private humble in publick patient in adversity religious and thankful in prosperity VI. O Blessed God take care of our soules and of our bodies keep us from sharp and tedious sicknesses let us never fall into want or be unprovided for in our age and forsake us not O God when we are gray-headed Grant us great measures of thy Spirit that we may abstaine from all appearances of evill and from all occasions of it and that we may take care to doe whatsoever is honest and of good report that having laid up a treasure of good workes against the day of thy visitation we may rejoyce in the day of our death and find mercy at the day of judgement through the goodnesse of our God and by the grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen VII Blesse and sanctify defend and save all Christian Kings Princes Governors and States Grant that all powers Civil and Ecclesiasticall may joyne together in the promoting the honour of God and the kingdome of the Lord Jesus and may find the blessings of God and the rewards of the Lord Jesus in this world and in the world to come Give health and comfort peace and holinesse long life and increase of grace to the cheifest of this family his Wife and children grant that their portion may be in religion and the love of God keep them from all evill by the guard of Angels and lead them into all good by the conduct of thy good Spirit VIII In mercy and great compassion remember all them that are miserable and afflicted persecuted or poore that have lost their estates or lost their liberty their health or their peace their innocence or their hopes restore them O Lord to all good and to all usefull comforts and let not the enemie of mankind invade thy portion or destroy any soule for whom thou hast paid the price of thy most precious blood Hear us O God in mercy and blesse all our relations and prosper all our labours and sanctify all our intentions and forgive us all our sins and releive all our necessities and defend us from all dangers and especially from our own selves from our evill habits and foolish customes from our weake principles and sad infirmities from our evill concupiscence and vitious inclinations from the power of the Devill and from thy wrath and bring us in mercy and truth in holinesse and comfort in labour and certainty to a fruition of the glories of God in the inheritance of our blessed Saviour Grant this O God our Father for the merits and by the redemption and intercession of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen THe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communication of the holy Spirit of God be with us defend and guide sanctify and save us and al our relatives and all the servants of God this day and for evermore Amen A short forme of Evening prayer for a family In the name of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Our Father c. The HYMNE O* Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth thou hast set thy glory above the Heavens ¶ When I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the moone and the stars which thou hast ordained *
unto the profession of thy faith and we humbly beseech thee to grant unto him thy grace to accompany him all the daies of his life that he may hold fast the profession of his faith making his calling and election sure that his body being washed in pure water and he tasting of the heavenly gift being made partaker of the holy Ghost and sprinkled in his heart from an evil Conscience he may follow thee in the regeneration and after the end of this life he may for ever be with them who have washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb. Grant this O God our Father thorough Jesus Christ our Blessed Saviour and Redeemer II. O most holy most gracious Saviour Jesus who lovest thy Church and hast given thy self for it that thou mayest sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water in the word do thou with thy holy Spirit enlighten and with thy word instruct the understanding of this child that he may live by faith and may perceive the secrets of thy kingdom and know thy will and obey thy laws and promote thy glory III. O God be thou his Father for ever Christ his elder Brother and his Lord the Church his Mother let the body of Christ be his food the bloud of Christ his drink and the Spirit the earnest of his inheritance Let faith be his learning Religion his imployment his whole life be spiritual heaven the object of his hopes and the end of his labours let him be thy servant in the kingdome of grace and thy Son in the kingdome of glory thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then shall the priest adde this blessing OUr Blessed Lord God the Father of men and Angels who hath sent forth his An-Angels ministers appointing them to minister to the good of them who shall be heirs of salvation he of his mercy and goodness send his Holy Angel to be the Guardian of this child and keep him from the danger and violence of fire and water of falls and sad accidents from evil tongues and evil eyes from witchcraft and all impressions of the spirits of darkness from Convulsions and Rickets from madness and stupidity from folly and evil principles from bad examples and from evil teachers from crookedness and deformity from the mutilation of a member or the loss of sense from being useless and unprofitable from being impious harsh natur'd and unreasonable and make him a wise useful and a holy person belov'd of men and belov'd of God thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Amen YOU the Godfathers and Godmother of the child as you have done this charity to the infant to bring him to Holy Baptisme so you must be sure to continue your care over him till he be instructed in his duty taught what vow he hath made by you and how he shall perform it To this purpose you shall take care that he may learn the Lords prayer the Apostles Creed and the Commandements of our Lord that he may know how to pray what to beleeve and what to practise and when he is in all these things competently instructed neglect not any opportunity of bringing him to the Bishop that he by imposition of hands and invocation of the holy Spirit of God may procure blessing and spiritual strength to this child Which duty when you have done you are discharged of this trust and from the mercies of God may humbly hope for the reward of your charity So ends the office of Baptisme THE DEVOTIONS and PROPER OFFICES for WOMEN An office for safe Childbirth I. O Almighty Father of Men and Angels in whose hands are the keyes of life and death of the womb and of the grave look down at this time in great mercy and gentlest compassion upon thy servant Thou hast O God upon the weakest of mankind fixed the sharpest decree of painful childbirth but so thou lovest to magnifie thy mercies and thy power that thy strength may be seen in our weakness so let it be O God unto thy handmaid let thy loving kindness be her confidence and her rest her hope and her security now and in the hour of her travail II. LORD let thy holy Angels be present with thy servant in their holy and charitable ministeries about her person it is a great thing that we require but we beg it of the great King of Heaven and Earth the Lord of Angels who hath promised that his Angels shall stand in circuit round about them that fear the Lord Look O Lord upon her fear it is humble but it is trembling look upon her love and make it what it is not yet doe thou sanctifie her fear of thee and change it into obedience and carefulness of duty increase her love of thee and make it to be pure and perfect operative and buisie zealous and obedient make it to grow up to the perfections of a Christian and pass unto the beauties of holyness so shall thy servant feel thy daily mercies and no evil shall come neer to hurt her III. GRacious Father give thy servant leave to rely upon thy glorious promises thou hast commanded us to call upon thee in our trouble and hast promised to deliver us O look upon thy handmaid leave her not nor forsake her for trouble is hard at hand and there is none that can help or deliver but onely thou O God In thee O Lord doe we trust let thy servants never be confounded Be pleased O Lord to give thy servant patience and dereliction of her own desires perfect resignation of her own will and a conformity to thine that she may with joy receive the blessing which thou wilt choose for her and which we humbly beg of thee even that she may have a holy a healthful a joyful and a safe deliverance of her burden Lord keep her from all sad accidents and evil contingencies from violent pains and passions from all undecency of Comportment and unquietness of Spirit from impatience and despair from doing any thing that is criminal or feeling any thing that is intolerable IV. O Lord my God give thy servants leave to pray to thee in behalf of this thy handmaid that thou wilt not cut her off in the middest of her daies nor forsake her when her strength faileth but spare her O God not for any purposes of vanity or the satisfaction of any impotent or secular desires but that she may live to serve thee to redeem her time mispent in folly to get victory over temptations and perfect dominion over her passions to grow great in religion and of an excellent charity and devotion O spare her a little that she may recover her strength before she goes hence and be no more seen so shall thy servant rejoice in thy mercies and speak of thy loving kindness in the Church of thy redeemed ones and will spend her daies in holiness and zealous pursuances of religion Remove her sinnes far from her as the East is from the