prayer GOod God the creator and maker of all mankind seéing it hath pleased thee of thy deuine prouidence to ordaine the night as a meane to deliuer vs from the trauailes of the day and to minister ease and gladnes to the wearied lims of our bodies to the great comfort and refreshing of the same by the fruition of quiet sleep and rest according to humane nature wee beseech thee therfore O Lord of thy vnspeakeable goodnes and mercy to be our watchman and defender this night that we be not ouercome by fantasies dreames or other illusions but that through thy permission we may take such quiet rest and voluntarie sleepe as nature requireth and though our grosse sences are at such times stopped yet vouchsafe euer to graunt vs the assistance of thy grace and holy spirit that our soules may respect the comming of thy sonne our sauiour Iesus Christ that at what time soeuer he calleth wee may bee found watchfull and continually ready to performe his will that after this life ended we may eternally rest in glorie and as the brightnesse of the sunne doth in the morning disperse the darke cloudes and thicke mistes from the face of the earth whereby the same was before couered with darkenesse so wee humbly beseech thee vouchsafe to disperse and burie our sinnes in the blend and obedience of thy deare sonne which doe as it were shadow vs from the bright beames of thy fauourable countenance and euermore assist vs with thy gratious goodnesse that our sleepe may be so healthfull vnto vs that we with willing minds arising in the morning may vtterly shake off al maner of drowsinesse and make hast to exercise our selues in such Christian labours as thy deuine prouidence hath ordained vs vnto to the aduancement and renowne of thy holy name credit of thy Church comfort reliefe of our Christian bretheren and our euerlasting saluation In mercy graunt this O Lord we beseech thee for Iesus Christ his sake our onely redeemer and sauiour vnto whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all power and dominion for euer Amen Twentie and one godly and necessary praiers gathered out of the Cxix Psalme wherein are contained petitions crauing aid of Gods spirit against Sathan and al wickednesse complaints against the rage of the vngodly thanksgiuing f r our deliuerance and consolation in aduersitie for that God both can and will assist his people 1. A Prayer for the assistance of Gods holy spirit for to direct our mindes after his holy lawes GRatious God so blesse me I beseech thee thy poore seruant that out of the hidden treasures of thy word I may gather such fruitful delights that I may walk vprightly and lead a blamelesse life in thy sight in keeping those precepts which thou O Lord God hast therein appointed Oh how blessed are those which obserue thy statutes vnto the end seeking thee with a pure heart and carefully obeying thy eternall maiestie may it please thee therefore so to guide my waies that I quaile not in my course neither bend my selfe to follow after vnrighteousnesse but faithfully perseuer in that perfect path which thou hast enclined me vnto out of thy holy word and thou being a righteous and euerlasting God doest not command me to followe any thing which is not lawfull in thy sight nor redounding to my saluation Erect my heart continually to the contemplation of thy blessed lawes whereby my dealings may be ordered through thy gouernance that I may immitate and carefully keepe the same all the daies of my life with zeale and obedience towards thy diuine maiestie then shall all things according â—o thy will goe well with me and I shall turne mine eies to beholde that thing which is good and laudable in thy fight yea and euermore worship thee with an vpright minde in spirit and truth as becommeth thy child without all dissimulation and hipocrisie Lord I am fully purposed to keepe thy statutes euen by the direction of thy spirit for my trust resteth in thee 2. A prayer to withstand the frailty of flesh cleaue vnto the Lord. GOuerne and direct mee O Lord according to thy worde that I may order my life by the rule therof and by the direction of thy holy spirit dilligently obserue those thinges which thou hast commanded me I haue sought thee O God with my whole heart let me not therfore goe astray from thee And though by frailety of my flesh I haue vnaduisedly heretofore falleÌ„ from thee yet I beseech thée of thy endlesse mercy slay me that I be not cast downe for euer and quicken me that I wander not any longer from thy precepts vnite my minde to thy sacred misteries that I may lay vp thine euerlasting promises in my hart least through the vaine entisements of my ghostly enemies I be enforced to forget negligently for want thereof to offend thy diuine maiestie for except thou O Lord which art altogether mercy dost guide and teach mee to leade my life aright truely my weakenesse would not permit mee to ioy or preuaile in that which is good teach me therefore O Lord zealously to keepe thy statutes that I may boldly speake to the land praise of thy name and openly shewe foorth thy holy word and blessed will graunt that I may take more delight in the keeping of thy exhortations and commandments then in al maner of earthly treasures and may meditate continually in thy precepts endue me with heauenly wisedome that I may vnderstand thy lawes aright and be euermore occupied therin vnto my liues end Amen 3. A prayer to be guided in all puritie and godlinesse GIue eare I most humbly beseech thee O Lord vnto the prayers that I offer heere vnto thy deuine maiestie Continue thy fauour towards me in directing me with thy holy spirit that I may ouercome that which sauoureth of euil and imbrace those things which thou hast commanded Abandon from the eies of my soule the vale of darknesse that I may view and beholde the true light and see the wonderfull secrets which euermore shine out of thy heauenly doctrine and lead my life in quietnesse to thy honor and glorie Thou knowest that I am a stranger and vnacquainted on the earth and that I desire to be brought to another place euen to thy heauenly habitation wherfore I beseech thée O God encline thine eare towards me hide not from me thy statutes neither yet take thy holy spirit from me that should leade me to imbrace thy righteousnesse I am desirous with great care to liue acording to thy lawes and to keepe thine ordinance both in prosperitie aduersity wherfore O Lord I beseech thee let this zeale consume me Thou rebukest and destroyest the proud persons and such as stubbornely striue against thee and appointest destruction and bitternesse vnto those that refuse to keepe thy precepts Though all men enuie me and haue me in despight for the truthes sake yet thou in thy good time wilt remoue them far
heauen by the conduct of thy holy spirit through Iesus Christ my onely aduocate and mediatour Amen Godly petitions to be vsed of euery Christian O My God accept thy most vnworthie seruant here humbly falling downe before thee I acknowledge thy great mercies and in sundry sort thy extended goodnesse towards me yet in feare of mine owne frailety I eftsoones present my selfe before thy maiestie to looke fauourably on me alwaies and to open mine eyes more clearely to see thy maiestie for the little tast that thou hast giuen me hath perswaded me alreadie that thou art sweet yea and the more that I discerne thy sweetnesse the more I see also my vncleannesse the knowledge of thee therefore I confesse is the leader to saluation for the consideration of thy greatnesse maketh me despise my basenesse and thy puritie my filthinesse and thy wonderfull goodnesse my monstrous vnworthinesse Forgiue me then O Lord my sinnes and let them not hold backe thy bounteous hand now begunne to be opened towards mee I say begun my Lord because my selfe hath but now begun to see it giue me a wise vnderstanding heart and send me knowledge from aboue driue from my mind the mistes of fleshly darkenesse and make me capable of thy heauenly riches fill my mouth with good things for I will open it to receiue of thy blessings Let me not die but liue and declare the praises of my Lord. Why hast thou made me but to glorifie thee Why hast thou enlightned me but to loue thee yea why hast thou redeemed me but to saue me And for what cause hast thou sanctified my heart but to make me fit for those good things that thou purposest to bestow vpon me O sweete Father thy loue is not to be expressed Now therefore goe forward and cease not with thy poore seruant performe that good building which thy spirit hath begun in me thou hast made me thirst for thy righteousnesse replenish now therefore my heart with gladnesse make my flesh to vanish and the new Adam to rise vp in strength thaâ— I may be discreet in my waies and stand in the continuall search of thy iudgements And when thy mercie thus ha h enlarged me as a full cloud so shall I declare thy kindnesse and as the sauour of Myrrhe so shall my lippes send vp thy praises Blessed be the Lord who haâ—h hiddeÌ„ these things from the wise of the world and reuealed the way of righteousnesse vnto the simple Lord I thy handmaid or sonne of thy handmaid will attend vpon thy will and repose myselfe vnder the shadow of thy wings both day and night Thou art my wisdome my power my beautie my strength my riches my glory my king my God and my saluation The grace of God the Father the peace of Christ Iesus our sauiour through the comfortable fellowship of the holy Spirit be with me preserue keepe me this day this night and euermore Amen A godly prayer to be said at all times O Eternall God and most mightie King of maiestie how can I hide my selfe froÌ„ thy presence or with what cloake or pretence might I couer my shame from the piercing fight of thine eye since I haue nothing O Lord but a guiltie conscience intollerably oppressed with the heauie but then of sinne by which I am almost driuen to the dore of despaire if thy mightie hand stay me not I fall and if thy wisdome prouide not for me I am alwaies in daunger The sorrowes of my heart are enlarged for my daies consume in sinne and the graue gapeth to receiue me before I gaine the gift of loue Vnrighteousnesse raigneth as a king in this my corruptible body and concupiscence deceiueth my sight till I be entraped verily when I come to fight I wonder that thou diddest not destroy me saying O Lord who is able to number his sinnes or what soule is righteous in thy sight shall man striue with God who can say I will be saued fith thou art iust Why diddest not thou cut my thred whilest I prouoked thee why diddest not thou send me to the inheritance of the wicked but thus thou vsest to comfort thy children in their great necessitie and my soule had perished but for this reliefe long agoe therefore crie I vnto thee from the depth of my heart take me not away O God in my sinnes neither let me reape the portion of the wicked thou hast shewed me the dayes of comfort and often deliuered my soule from the Lion And because thou in thy great mercie hast let me see this goodnesse and also made me to reioyce therin increasing light after a darkenesse and doubling ioy to my paine I will neuer cease O deare father to call vpon thee in my afflictions and to looke for the good houre in my daunger increase my faith and settle me in the knowledge of thy will Plenteously blesse me with thy grace and let thy spirit be my protectour for misery O Lord is threatened vnto thy children and ruine to the faith of the younglings no place is safe from the rage of thy aduersaries but thou art the God of might and hast power to preserue our peace Oh if I might aske the death of this old Adam so that all concupiscence might vanish as a smoake then sure say I I would wholly be exercised in the law of my God and at all times would I sing praises vnto his name but I will not presume about thy seruant Paul whom thy wisdome thus answered My grace is sufficient for thee thus will I beseech thee whiâ—e I liue that this balme of thy grace may alwaies be poured fresh into my wounds that euen in my infirmities I may euer gaine a double reioycing and that the most subtill assaults of the aduersarie may alwaies fall out to be his soulest faile and my weakenesse my wisedome by the renuing of thy grace and enlightning my spirit with the sweete balme of thy louâ—ng countenance through thy most tender mercie in the purchase of thy beloued sonne our deare Sauiour Christ Iesu vnto whom with thee and the holy spirit be all power and dominion for euermore Amen A prayer for women with child O Eternall God and most mercifull father who notwithstanding my manifold and grieuous offences hast of thy gratious goodnesse in marriage made me fruitfull which I take as thy great blessings and benefits bestowed vpon me beseeching thee now most humbly to helpe me thy poore handmaiden in these grieuous paines of trauaile and childbirth Thou hast willed vs to call vpon thee in all our needs and necessities and hast promised in thy great mercies neuer to faile them that call vpon thee helpe me now wretched sinner in these intollerable pains that I may ouercome them with patience and euermore praise thy maiestie Comfort me with thy holy spirit that I sinke not vnder this heauie burthen And as gratiously thou hast blessed me hitherto from time to time in giuing me children so mercifully sanctifie them
heauenly direction to guide and gouerne me as shall seeme most expedient to thy godly wisdome and as this my troublesome and wearie life is but a pilgrims passage and a spanne from birth to graue so graunt that I may alwaies consider of it and I beseech thee O my God that as to Iacob iourneying into the East praying for thy gratious protection thou didst minister all things necessarie to his safetie so thou wilt mercifully behold me a member of thy little Israell and prosper me so in my iourney that all things according to thy heauēly wil may go well with me to the honor and aduancement of thy holy name that like as Iacob said thou shouldest be his God so we knowing that in all things thou art more rich and plentiful vnto vs a thousand fold thā we can deserue may for thy continuall goodnesse sing land and praise vnto thy holy name O God that for euer liuest one in trinitie and three in vnitie Amen A godly prayer to be vsed at all times O Most mercifull father from thy holy sanctuarie looke downe I beseech thee vpon me and behold me poore wretch that am oppressed with the burthen of daily sinne and be wrapped in the bonds of mortall misery prisoned in the fetters of originall wickednesse and hauing in mine owne body the traiterous affections of concupiscence alway conspiring to betray my soule into the hands of the aduersarie behold me I say in the bright beames of thy louing countenance with thy eye of mercy see into the troubles of my spirit and lay thine eare vnto the mournefull grones of the same my soule howleth out vnto thee euen from the gulph of deepe calamities pressed with the prouision of temporall things vrged with the spightfull watching of the hatefull pricked with the presumptuous pride of worldly benefites and wounded with the venomous dart of Adams transgression my battailes are full of difficulties my victories compassed with treason and my dwellings in the dores of death O my God what felicitie can the poore seruant find in this irkesome life Or what comfort can bring sufficient reliefe to the afflicted spirit but the true platforme of our pathes and the sweete scope of our pilgrimage euen Iesus Christ thy dearely beloued sonne our sauiour Wherfore I poore sinner humbly beseech thee not to carry long or deferre my deliuerance from this wearie iourney Let not my soule alway be clad with mourning and my bones witherwith anguish thou Lord hast created me of nothing and thou gauest me life in my mothers wombe Thou hast chosen me to be of thine and thou hast giuen me thy holy spirit the testimony O deare father let not thy graces be in me in vaine let me not be ouerwhelmed with the iniquities of this troublesome world but preuent me with the extended force of thy right hand and saue my soule O God my rocke of strength Behold not that which is amisse in me neither let my sinnes and infirmities make separation betweene thy mercy and me driue out or at the least wise hold downe in me the cruell sting of raging concupiscence by the increasing might of thy holy spirit impresse in my heart a feare of thy lawes and instruct me so to number my daies that I may applie my selfe wholly to thy statutes Also O most mercifull father as the dore of thy mercy is alwaies open and as thou wilt neuer refuse humble sutes of thy seruants heare me O Lord in my earnest petition for thy little Church of England let me neuer see it gouerned againe with the mistie cloud of deepe ignorance suffer me neuer to see thy holy temple and sanctuary defiled with the beastily superstition and blasphemous idolatrie of Antichrist strike not the lampe out of our hands in thy wrath and so make vs go groping in palpable darkenesse I must needs confesse O deare father that the multitude of our sinnes which are growne in such ripenesse due worthily deserue thy grieuous plagues euen from the highest to the lowest we haue all gone astray and prowdly breaking our allegiance haue disol eyed thy precepts But yet O mightie Iehouah who admittest dust and ashes to speake vnto thee heare thy poore seruant I beseech thee euen with the teares of a sorrowfull heart appease thine anger hold thy heauie rod shed not the violl of wrath vpon vs in thy surie let not thy spirit be mooued with man because he is but flesh correct vs not in thine anger least we be consumed and brought to nothing but conuert vs O Lord and we shall be conuerted change vs and we shall be changed for thine elects sake O father spare this Realme of England Deferre the day of reuenge and so much more plenteously poure thy pretious spirit into the hearts of thy children which now alreadie feele thy fatherly calling that they with all speede making hast into thy vineyard may painefully sweate in dunging earthing and priming the trees to the increase of thy vintage to the glory of thy holy name Lord heare me I beseech theé and so kindle in the hearts of thy children the loue of thy law and zeale of true profession that we may walke together in all brotherly admonition and Christian exhortation that we all striue to goe before others in godly zeale and flourish in the fruits of perfect faith That we vse not our liberty to the infirming of the weake but euery one burne in desire to winne a soule vnto thee Finally that our stedfast going forward and continuall increase may be to the strengthening of the weake and comfort of the strong to the sifting out of Wolues defence of the Lambs to the shining credite of thy Church and finall confusion of Antechrist that so turning from vs thy heauy displeasure and vnbending the bowe of thy wrath thou maiest imbrace vs in thy armes of mercie where gaining the fruition of thy fauour in all patience and thanksgiuing we may expect the day of our liberty which we shall one day obtaine by the dissolution of this life and entrance into that vnspeakable rest that Christ our sauiour hath purchased and entred into by his pretious blood to whom with the father and the holy spirit be all praise and thankesgiuing for euer Amen Godly meditations to be vsed at all times O Eternall God and heauenly father whose wisdome and power is infinit and yet whose mercie surmounteth all in whome all creatures haue their being and from whom all goodnesse floweth as from a fountaine I humbly beseech thee giue eare vnto the groning requests of my spirit and pittie the salt streames that for the sight and sence of mine owne infirmities flow from the inwards of my consuming heart And also I aske nothing but that which soundeth to the glory of thy holy name and to the credit of thy Church shew thy selfe O father as willing as able that my spirit being refreshed and my heart receiuing comfort I may boldfast the reioysing of my hope with