are ordered by the greatest Wisdom and shall work together for the good of those that love Thee We doubt not of thy Fatherly Affection to those that study in all sincerity to approve themselves unto Thee and therefore still resolve to leave our selves entirely to thy wise Counsels that thou mayst dispose us into such a condition as thou seest best in this World Oh remember us but of our Duty quicken and excite us to it strengthen us in the doing of it support us under all discouragements advise us in all difficult cases and comfort us with a stedfast Belief of thy holy Word and we shall ever be giving thanks and praise unto Thee who dealest so bountifully with us Moreover with our selves we desire O Lord the good of all Mankind especially that thou wouldest be mercifull to thy whole Church and particularly that thou wouldest bless that part of it which is planted in these Nations wherein we live inclining the hearts of all Ranks and Degrees of Men amongst us to follow after things which make for Peace Unity and Godliness But O gracious God as we are in duty bound in a more peculiar manner we do most earnestly beseech Thee on the behalf of this place of our Abode that our Minister being directed and assisted by Thee may be made a Blessing and a Comfort unto us and that we likewise having our Conversation as becomes the Gospel of Christ may be a Blessing and an Encouragement unto him Give we pray Thee repentance unto Sinners and increase of Grace and Strength to all thy faithfull Servants Reduce those among us that wander out of the way raise up those that are fallen confirm and settle those that stand and grant them a stedfast Resolution to persevere in Faith Love and Obedience Relieve and comfort all those that are in any Distress make the Earth to bring forth her increase in due season and let all honest and industrious People be succeeded and blessed in their Labours Remember all those who are nearly related to us or to whom we are indebted for our Birth Education Instruction or Promotion Thou who art rich in Mercy reward and recompence their care and love Grant Forgiveness and Charity to all our Enemies Continue good will among all our kind Neighbours Assist those that are Dying and leaving this World and fit their Souls for a better Place and let us also with them after our own last sickness in due time through Christ obtain a glorious Resurrection and Eternal Life And here O Lord we do from our very Souls render unto Thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy Blessings and Benefits bestowed upon us concerning this Life and that which is to come but more especially we praise Thee for the mercies of this day for any measure of success thou hast given us in our lawfull Endeavours that thou hast defended us from such dangers as might have fallen upon us We beseech Thee likewise of thine infinite Goodness and Mercy to defend and protect us and all that belong unto us this Night and let us be refreshed with moderate rest and sleep and so raised the next Day more able and willing to set forth thy Glory in the conscionable Duties of our Places and Callings These and all other needfull Mercies we ask of Thee for the alone merits of Jesus Christ in whose Name we continue to pray unto Thee as he himself hath taught us saying Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven give us this day our daily Bread and forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Thy Grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy love O Heavenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy and blessed Spirit be with us and remain with us this night and for evermore Amen Another family-Family-Prayer for the Evening on the Week-Days Saturday especially O Most blessed and eternall God thou alone art the fountain of our Happiness and the rest and satisfaction of our Souls Thou art infinitely more great and glorious in thy Wisdom Power and Goodness then either our words can declare or our hearts can conceive We therefore thine unworthy Servants do here most humbly adore and worship thine incomprehensible Majesty acknowledging that we were not only born in sin but in the course of our Lives have violated thy Sacred Laws and many ways transgressed our Duty as to Thee our Neighbours and our Selves so that if Thou shouldest deal with us according to the strictness of thy Justice and our own deservings we could expect nothing but shame and misery both in this life and that which is to come But O God we beseech Thee do thou help us penitently and believingly to cast our selves upon thy Mercy and the Merits of Jesus Christ and for his sake graciously forgive unto us the sinfulness of all our thoughts words and ways and let thy Spirit witness with ours the comfortable assurance of that Forgiveness And for the future let us not be tempted by the allurements or discouragements of the World wilfully to allow our selves in the omission of any the least known Duty or in the Commission of any the least known Sin And because this is thy Will even our sanctification we beseech Thee O Lord that thou wouldest sanctifie our Understandings that being renewed in the Spirit of our Minds we may have a Spiritual Discerning of the things of Thee our God that we may know what it is that Thou requirest of us in those several Places Conditions and Relations Thou art pleased to set us in That Thou wouldest likewise enable us to submit our wills to thy Blessed Will in all things and to make it our daily care and exercise to keep our Consciences clear and unreproveable in thy sight That Thou wouldest help us to set our Affections upon things above that we may love thee the Lord our God with all our Heart and with all our Soul and with all our Strength and that Christ may be the Chiefest of ten thousands unto us Him whom our Soul loves That we may present our Bodies a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable unto Thee which is but our reasonable Service That so being sanctified throughout we may be whatsoever Thou wouldest have us to be that we may leave whatsoever thou wouldest have us to forsake that we may patiently suffer whatsoever Thou layest upon us to endure that we may freely cheerfully and readily do whatsoever thy Command obligeth us to do And because Thou requirest that we should grow in Grace by all those means of Grace and Salvation which Thou art pleased so plentifully to vouchsafe unto us Oh that Thou wouldest help us to walk yet more holily in respect of Thee our God then ever that we may be more fearfull
without many vain repetitions and broken impertinent expressions have quite left off the Duty it self T is true some few may attain an habit of uttering their Desires freely and becomingly upon any occasion yet the most though well-minded People are so defective both in their Conceptions and Utterance that they greatly need the Assistance which is here offered them and ought by no means to be discouraged from performing thus safely and piously their known Duty towards God especially considering that when we pray for such things as are contained in the Scriptures which are from the Spirit of God and when by the same Blessed Spirit helping our infirmities we are enabled to Pray for those things fervently and sincerely we do truly pray by the Gift or Assistance of the Spirit whether the Prayer we use be written in a Book or imprinted in the Memory or suddenly uttered and such a Prayer is acceptable unto God who looks not at the outward varied expressions of the Tongue but the inward holy Affections of the Heart And so our Saviour pray'd in or by the Spirit when he repeated the same requests at several times and so still do all plain and honest-hearted People when they devoutly use that form of Prayer which he hath taught us or any other after that manner judiciously composed The Prayers Directions and Catechisms of the following Book I have for the most part collected out of several approved Authours of great Judgement Learning Piety and Christian experience only fitting them with needfull Alterations and Additions for your easier use and benefit And in the whole you have comprehended those things which make for your greater Holiness here and Happiness hereafter which are often more fully explained by the publick Ministry of the Word and which agree with the sense of the most and best Christians in the truly Catholick or universall Church beginning at Jerusalem and dispersed throughout the whole Christian World Yet I doubt not but many deceivers and deceived who have cast off the Ordinances of Christ and lately taken up a new Religion of their own devising building their Altars of false Worship besides the Altar of the Lord these will be ready to revile me for my pains to call me Deceiver as some did the Apostles themselves to prate maliciously against me and to oppose and gainsay what I am doing that they may hinder your being benefited thereby But I beseech you do you hold fast the form of sound Words or Christian Doctrine which you have received in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus adhere to the Spirit Ministry and Ordinances of Christ keep in the Communion of his Saints and People and as you have the true Religion so be true unto your Religion by living accordingly and my Soul for yours by the Grace of God you shall not miscarry Be not offended at the bad lives of some there will be tares among the good Wheat 'till the Harvest Be not offended at the errours and heresies of others of your own selves says the Apostle shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them And again There must be Heresies among you that they which be approved may be made manifest among you There will be unstable and unlearned People who will boldly wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction But remember how God hath given Pastours and Teachers for the Work of the Ministry c. That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Therefore be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace Hold fast the Profession of your Faith without wavering Mark them that cause Divisions and avoid them Let not your soul come into their secret out of Curiosity least when you forsake his ways God justly forsake your Understandings and leave you to your selves and so you be led by your corrupt Natures to close sooner with that which is evil then with that which is good And if at any time you cannot fully answer such objections as cunning Deceivers may make against any thing contained in this Book or in our holy Religion do not as some have done therefore presently turn to them without any more ado do not think that because you cannot answer them that no body else can do not suffer your selves and your Religion to be so soon so sadly and shamefully parted but in the name of God I most humbly and most earnestly beseech you take the pains to acquaint me with them or with my consent and assistance to consult such faithfull and able Ministers of Christ as will help you most clearly to see the weakness and falshood of those arguments which so much puzled you before Remember I beseech you that this is the advice of one whom God by his gracious Providence and Holy Spirit hath made your Overseer and the Guide of your Souls of one who hath the same care for your Salvation that he hath for his own Who can as truly rejoyce to see the fruit of his labours in your Holy Walking as you can to reap a plentifull Harvest after your Labours or to see your Children do well according to your care and trouble about them Of one concerning whom with others Christ hath said He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Remember that this is the advice of one who is always near you and is in some measure acquainted with your Condition and is ever ready to direct and assist you as your Necessities shall require Remember that this is the advice of one who is devoted to the Work of the Ministry and the Service of your Souls and so may more reasonably then others that are not so set apart expect as it is his daily Prayer to be led of God in the ways of Truth and Holiness that he may lead you in them to and to be blessed of God that he may be made a Comfort and a Blessing unto you Remember further that this is the Advice of one who having lived long among you sincerely loves you and hath no other design upon you but by all Good means to promote your Happiness and to prevent your utter Undoing of one lastly who is ready to spare neither Cost nor Pains for your real Good as in other things so in helping you to practice what is contained in this Book which I intreat you to accept of and to use as a testimony of my Unfeigned Desires of your Eternal welfare recommending both it and you to the Blessing and Protection of Almighty God and ever remaining Your Servant for Christs sake J. A. Eph. 6. 18 19. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and Watching thereunto with all Perseverance and Supplication for all Saints And for
of our Purposes of better Obedience with inward Fervency and Devotion in some such manner as may be pleasing unto Thee honourable unto Christ and comfortable to our selves Let us so shew forth the precious Death of our dearest Redeemer that in remembring the same we may be unfeignedly thankfull and sincerely praise Thee the blessed Trinity in Unity unto whom be ascribed and given all Honour and Obedience now and for ever Amen Another Prayer which may be used in secret some time before the Sacrament O Eternal and blessed God I prostrate my self with humble Reverence before Thee the Searcher of hearts not to excuse but aggravate my faults for I confess I have not given Thee that Honour Worship and Service which I owe to my Almighty Creator Nor laid to heart as I ought thine infinite Love in Christ my Redeemer Nor duly followed the godly Motions of thy Holy Spirit which thou hast sent to renew and sanctifie my Affections and draw me to thine Obedience I have not lived up to the Faith which I profess but behaved my self too often as if I neither dreaded the threatned Punishments nor duly valued the promised glorious rewards of my Lord Christ who will judge the World in Righteousness and render to every one according to their Works O Lord I have done so much Evil and so little Good been so eager in the pursuit of the things of this World and so cold and unconcerned many times about those of Eternity so unmindfull of my promises unthankfull for thy Benefits and unfruitfull in the Knowledge of Christ that it is a wonder of thy Patience and Goodness that I am still alive and not cut down like a barren Tree that cumbers the ground that I am not lamenting these follies in weeping and gnashing of teeth which I now mention with so little sorrow and bitterness of Spirit For ever adored be thy forbearing Mercy which hath so long spared me an unprofitable servant who have so many ways in thought word and deed offended thy Divine Majesty Oh continue I beseech thee to be gracious unto me and for Jesus his sake give me a truly penitent and believing Heart and by the vertue of that Sacrifice of himself which he offered once for the sins of the World let all my sins be done away and remembred no more And for this and all other thy great Mercies I resolve to offer unto Thee by Christ the Sacrifice of continual Praise and Thanksgiving and I present my body a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto Thee which is my reasonable Service And I dedicate my self absolutely to thy Obedience Oh therefore give me Grace ever to fear Thee and to walk humbly with Thee and to preserve a tender sense of my Duty towards Thee O Lord I purpose by thy Assistance that hereafter I will never willingly depart from thy Precepts oh do thou strengthen me to perform what I have purposed that I may never be so unreasonable as to return to those sins which are the burden of my Heart and grieve thy Holy Spirit which rent the Flesh and shed the Blood of the Lord Jesus and which I have so often and so solemnly protested against And now that I am going to thy Holy Table to commemorate the Sacrifice of my Saviour to remember his love in Dying for me to give thee further testimonies of my love to Thee and receive new tokens of thy Love to me O Lord vouchsafe to make thy self powerfully present to my Mind Represent thy self and thy Son Jesus so lively to my thoughts in all Wisdom Power Goodness Holiness and Truth that I may never forget Thee any more but more seriously reverence thee and love thee and rejoyce in thee and trust thee and obey thee all the days of my life Imprint the very image of thy Son upon me that I may carry him ever in my Heart and have his life and death continually before mine Eyes and in all things conform my self to his Will and fashion my self after his Holy Example Come Lord Jesus and possess thy self of my whole Man Purifie me from all remaining filthiness either of the Flesh or Spirit Bring in all thy Heavenly Graces along with thee into my Soul And be my perpetual Defence by giving me a fuller communication of thy Holy Spirit and more mighty aides to do my duty towards Thee and towards all Men. And for that end compose my unsetled thoughts before I approach to receive the holy Mysteries that I may attend Thee with a full and clear conception of their meaning with an actual Belief of thy whole Gospel with most sensible love to thee and desire to be more like thee with thy high Praises in my mouth and joy unspeakable in my heart May I presume most gracious Father to ask such tasts and relishes of thy wondrous Love in Christ Jesus that I may never be able to delight in any thing so much as in the remembrance of it But mine eyes may be ever towards the Lord and I may hunger and thirst perpetually after thy Righteousness 'till I am rendred meet to be translated to that High and Holy place where I shall see Thee not as now in mysterious Representations but openly and as it were Face to Face Amen Lord Jesus who art able to save to the uttermost all them that come to God by Thee In thy most blessed name and words I continue my humble Prayers Our Father c. I would intreat those who have never yet received or but seldom to read at their leasure and with good Deliberation the Doctrine of the Sacrament in the Church Catechism as also the whole Order of the Administration thereof set down in the Book of Common Prayer by which together with what is contained in the two foregoing Prayers may be learnt in good measure what is needfull both in our Preparing for and Partaking of that Holy Ordinance And yet to further your more profitable and comfortable Receivimg you may use these following Helps Some brief helps to Meditation in Receiving the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper FIrst When the Sermon is ended and thou art adressing thy self to the Banquet of the Lords Supper meditate how lovingly thou art invited to be a guest at this Holy Table Hoe every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters Come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price Eat ye that which is Good and let your Soul delight it self in Fatness Take Eat this is my Body which is broken for you Drink ye all of this for this is my Blood which was shed for the Remission of Sins Secondly As Abraham when he went up to the Mount to sacrifice Isaac his Son left his servants beneath in the Valley So when thou comest to the spiritual commemorative Sacrifice of the Lords-Supper lay aside all earthly thoughts and cogitations that thou mayest wholly contemplate of Christ and offer up thy Soul to him who Sacrificed both his Soul and Body for
Morning on the Week-Days you may pray by your self thus O Most gracious God and mercifull Father I thine unworthy servant do here acknowledge that as I was born in sin so I have lived in iniquity and broken thy Righteous Laws in thought word and deed following too much the desires of my own Will and not caring as I ought to be governed by thy holy Word and Spirit and am therefore liable to all shame and misery both in this Life and that which is to come But O Heavenly Father I beseech Thee for the Merits of thy dear Son to forgive me all my sins and not to inflict that punishment which is due unto me for them And send thy Holy Spirit into my heart which may assure me that thou art my reconciled Father and that thou lovest me with an unchangeable Love And let the same thy good Spirit lead me in the ways of Truth and Righteousness and crucifie in me more and more all worldly and carnall lusts And here O Lord from the bottom of my heart I thank Thee for all thy Blessings bestowed upon my Soul or Body Particularly for any measure of Refreshment given unto me the Night past and that thou hast brought me safe to the light of another Day O Lord I pray Thee continue to be gracious unto me let thy Fear be always before my eyes and thy Grace so rule in my heart that whatever I shall think speak or do may tend to thy Glory the Good of others and the peace of my own Conscience I now recommend my self and all my concerns together with all near Relations and those that belong unto me to thy mercifull Direction and Protection intreating Thee to keep us from all evil and to give a Blessing to all our honest and lawfull Endeavours and to make all thy Providences towards us to work together for our good Bless O Lord the Kings Majesty and all the Royal Family with all inferiour Magistrates under Him Bless the Bishops and Pastors of the Church Comfort all that are sick and comfortless And O Lord keep me in a continual readiness by Faith and Repentance for my last end that whether I live or die I may be thine accepted of Thee through Christ Jesus my only Saviour in whose prevailing Name I sue for these and all other needfull Graces and Mercies continue to pray unto Thee as he himself hath taught me saying Our Father c. Praying alone unless removed out of the hearing of others speak with a whispering rather then a loud Voice as Hannah did 1 Sam. 1. 13. She spake in her heart onely her lips moved but her voice was not heard Thus not being heard of others they cannot suspect you to affect any vain glory in what you do Yet you will find this way usefull both to stir up your Affections and to help your Attention of Mind by keeping you from many wandring and distracting thoughts which you would otherwise be liable unto Note further that when alone in Secret you may sometimes makeless use of a set Form of Prayer and take more freedom in opening your Heart and particular Condition unto God as he shall enable you He knows and will graciously answer your humble and sincere desires Greater heed is to be taken for Method and Expression when we pray with others that they may joyn with us to their Edification At Evening on the Week-Days when the Family is come together at the fittest time before they go to their Rest let the Governours themselves or some Child or Servant whom they shall appoint reading first some portion of Scripture if they have time distinctly and leasurely read one of the two following Prayers A Family-Prayer for the Evening on the Week-Days O Lord the Creator of the World and the Redeemer of Mankind who knowest all things and canst do what thou pleasest and hast done us very much Good already and promised to do more for us if we be obedient then we can ask or think we here fall down before Thee in the lowest manner to express our fear and reverence to thy Almighty Power our admiration of and submission to thy unsearchable Wisdom our hearty love and thankfull acknowledgment of thy wondrous Goodness our trust and confidence in thy Faithfull Promises with our ready and sincere purposes to perform all Obedience to thy holy Commands There is nothing O Lord so afflictive to us as the remembrance that we have at any time offended thy Sovereign Authority We are heartily sorry for the breaking any of thy Righteous and Good Laws and therefore beseech Thee for the sake of Christ to pardon the same unto us and that we may abhor the thoughts of doing so again ever resolving by thy Assistance to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live Righteously Soberly and Godly in this present World and to strive to be like our Saviour Christ in meekness and lowliness of Spirit in Purity and Zeal for thy Worship and Glory and in being ready as we have opportunity to take the more pains that we may do the more good in the World Oh do thou we pray thee strengthen in us these resolutions which thou hast inspired us withall and ever further them by thy continued Grace that no sudden desires ineffectual purposes or partial performances may deceive or lead us into a false Opinion of our selves but that we may bring forth actually and with a constant Spirit all the fruits of Righteousness which are by Christ Jesus to the Praise and Glory of thee our God O let us be so sensible of thy great kindness to us of our many engagements unto Thee that we may love thee our God and Saviour with all our heart soul and strength that we may strive to credit our Religion and glorifie thy Name all the ways we are able with all that we are have or can do that not only by the special Duties of thy Worship but also by the right management of our outward Affairs and our moderate use of the good things of this Life we may serve Thee and be brought nearer unto Thee Thus we pray Thee let Religion be the very business of our lives and let our greatest pleasure be to please Thee in every thing and our highest design to attain that Blessed Immortality which Christ Jesus hath promised Lift up our affections we intreat Thee more and more to those things above where He is that Heaven may have our hearts while this World hath our bodies and we may have perfect Contentment of mind in Well-doing and patient suffering and the good hope we have of being eternally beloved of Thee the Lord of Heaven and Earth may make us rejoyce evermore Free us O Lord from all inordinate cares for the things of this Life from all distrust of thy good Providence from all repining at any thing that befalls us and enable us in every thing to give Thanks believing that all things