it in ways of Holiness O! Lord that all its Ministrations may be such as become Saints Suffer it not to mix sin in thy Service or to teach it to thy People To pollute holy Offices with any ungodly or unrighteous Petitions and prostitute and prophane thy Worship by falling therein to offer any abominable things Oh! let not its Ministrations become the Ministrations of Unrighteousness but be Holy and without Blemish as besits thine House and becomes thy Spouse Whilst thou art pleased to try it with Tribulations Lord let them only purge it but not lay it waste And revive a suffering Spirit among us when it labours under a suffering State Make it willing then and ready to quit all Interests of this World and live upon the hopes of a better Enable it contentedly yea joyfully to take up thy Cross and to bear it after thee Oh! that at such times it may always be more afraid of Sinning than of Suffering Oh! that it may never fall to make the way of Gain to pass for the way Godliness or to Preach up what is Unrighteous because it is become serviceable and safe Nor ever seek to Error and Wickedness for Refuge instead of seeking to God and trusting in him and in his holy ways for the same Oh! Father in thy Mercy guard it against all Error and Ungodliness rescue it from all Schisms and Divisions and free it in thy due time of its Distress and Persecutions for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake Amen 2. O! Almighty Lord Direct and Rule the Hearts of thy People by the Power of thy Grace that they may no longer run furiously upon Unrighteous Expedients nor by their Violence drive their Teachers into the Practice and Justification thereof Oh! that they may seek to hear true and not pleasing things and not only hear but love to be faithfully dealt with And give them not up O! Father to persecute the Preachers of Righteousness who are ready to warn them of the Error and Danger of their ways or to despite them and treat them as their worst Enemies only for telling them thy Saving Truths Lord let not the love of Error and Hatred of those Truths which are according to Godliness and Honesty always Reign in them Let them not persist therein without Remorse Or when they are smitten with Relentings let them not lie sealed up in their Iniquity as the fallen Angels do by despair of Mercy and seat themselves among those Sinners who when once they have done ill think they cannot be safe but by doing worse Especially O! God deliver them not over to a Reprobate Sense nor shut them up under a Spiritual Blindness But open their Eyes to see from whence they are fallen and to seek after those things which are necessary to their Everlasting Peace through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 2. Prayers for cure of Schisms and for Graces in divided Times 1. DEliver this Church O! Almighty Lord from Schisms which have torn it to pieces And grant that all those Members who are broken off may return to offer up their Religious Services in due Dependance upon their own Orthodâ—x and Lawful Pasters and to make Conscience of keeping Union and of continuing Subject and Obedient unto those who are Rightfully set over them in the Government of thy Church Let them not think it enough O! God to have Holy Prayers But teach them moreover to put up these Prayers in such Assemblies as keep Obedient and United to those Spiritual Fathers whom thou hast called to be the Rightful Governors of the Body And make them know that when as good Christians they are careful to joyn in none but Holy Services they must take care also as good Church-Members to present those Services to thine Hands in the Unity and Communion of thy Church there to be accepted with thee through his Merits and Mediation who is the Head and Saviour of the Body even thy most Blessed Son and our only Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 2. BEnd the Hearts of all amongst us O! blessed Lord to have Peace amongst themselves Teach them Humility and Submission to those whom thou hast put in Authority over them Let Love and Lowliness increase and all self-denying and amicable Tempers And remove far from us Covetous and Aspiring Thoughts and Pride and self-pleasing and all Wrath and bitter Passions Reconcile all jarring Spirits and cause all Discord and Division to cease And dispose us all O! Jesu thou Prince of Peace to see those Truths which make for Peace and tend to close our Breaches and willingly to submit to them Let us not give way so far to Anger and bitter Passions till none but violent things will please us and till we grow fond and greedy of any Error that will make the Breach wider but Zealous against such Truths as might serve again to unite and bring us together Oh! keep us strictly careful both of Peace and Truth And as we humbly pray that we may never give up thy saving Truths for Peace so do we likewise that we may never divide from each other and be averse to Peace when thy Holy Truths stand in no need thereof And whilst we labour under our unhappy Breaches Let us not be wanting in any mutual Offices of Humanity good Neighbourhood or common Justice towards each other Let us not fancy that their being of different Opinions or of different Churches from us must put a stop to the Just Acts and Offices of Gratitude and to the Remembrance of former kindness or that they must give us a discharge from any mutual Obligations of natural Kindred or of civil Relations Especially O! Merciful God keep us from placing all Religion in the Notes of a Party Let us not so over-ratc the real or fancied Virtues of our several Divisions as to take up therewith and become our selves as culpable for the Breach and allowed Neglect of some Duties as we charge our Brethren to be for the Breach of others But whilst on all sides we are zealous in pursuing those points wherein we differ let us be zealous for others too aud not overlook or lay aside the care of good Life and of that common Religion wherein we all agree and which at last must deliver us all from thy Wrath and prepare us for thine Everlasting Mercies thro' our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 3. Prayers for the Bishops and Clergy under Persecutions 1. O! Almighty Lord under all these Persecutions which are sent to prove and purge us have an especial care of the Bishops and Pastors of thy Church who are set to take of thy People and to defend thy cause and fill their Hearts with the power of thy Spirit and with all those Gifts and Graces which are needful to maintain their own Standing or prevent the Falls of others Make them clear Examples O! God of Holy Living and of truly Christian and Righteous Suffering to thy Flock setting before their Eyes the lively Draughts and
constant Practice of Faith and Patience Meekness and Charity and of a Heart mortified to this World and full of the Thoughts and Hopes of a better Give them Grace O! Lord to watch over thy People with willing Minds and with unwearied Diligence Oh! that they may Rule them prudently and skilfully as wise Guides And feed them faithfully as good Shepherds Oh! that they may wholly apply themselves to Preach thy Word and to administer thy pure Worship and Saâ—rament to comfort the Afflicted â—o strengthen the Feeble-minded â—o confirm those that Stand and to raise up those that are faln to quicken the Indifference and Lukewarmness of some and to curb and bridle the inordinate Heat and undue Passions and Violence of others And let them not think of quitting the trust and Charge of Ministring to Souls when the Wolf approacheth or leave of caring for thy Flock to take care of themselves But keep them ever mindful O! Holy Jesu that thou art the true Shepherd who gavest thy Life for the Sheep and that as thy true Followers and faithful Ministers they must be diligent at such times in Ministring to their wants and attend upon the same at all hazards Let them shew then that they love thee by feeding thy Sheep Enable them to shew perfect Love which â—asteth out Fear And give them Grace to speak thy word and to do thy work with Boldness and Uprightness neither fearing the Faces of their Persecutors nor tolerating and muchless feeding the Diseases or Vices of their Flocks but remembring always that in thy Church they preside and Minster for thee and as they who are to give an Account for Souls Possess their Hearts O! God with such vigilant Care and Love for Souls and Holy Zeal and Godly Courage and Prudence as is requisite for Men iu their High Trusts and Stations and under the present wants and Difficulties of thy Church And be with them in all they do and in all they suffer for thy Cause for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake Amen 2. COmfort up their Spirits also O! Lord with the visible Effects and good Fruits of their Labours and Sufferings among thy People But whatever success they meet withal let them not desist from thy Service nor fall to do thy Work negligently but when there is the least appearance of their working good up others let it however satisfie and support them that they have thereby shown their Fidelity and Love to thee and have delivered their own Souls And keep them from all vain Janglings O! thou Blessed Spirit of Love and Peace and from falling into desires of vain-Glory or Emulation among themselves Let them not defile their own Spirits or disparage thy Cause by turning aside to vent humane Passions or to seek or serve any worldly ends But in all their Labours and Sufferings for thy Church help them to approve themselves pure and sincere as Men whose great care and chief business is to serve thee and to watch for the Good of Souls And whilst they are watching for thy People Lord let thy good Providence watch over them When thy Service and the neâ—ds of Souls do most endanger and expose them let them be safe in thy keeping Put by the Malice and Machinations of their Enemies and give them Patience and unwearied Perseverance under all their Difficulties and Distresses Support and Comfort them under the same at present and turn them all in the end to the furtherance of thy Truth and to the encrease of their own Everlasting Peace and Happiness through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 4. A Prayer for both Clergy and People O! Lord whilst thou art trying us with Losses and Worldly Sorrows make us easie under the same and careful to bear them with Patience and raised Affections But let us not betake our selves to Pride and self-pleasing and to feed those corrupt Passions which our Afflictions should purge out nor ever fall to seek or think of great things here for our selves Oh! that our Tribulations may teach us to be humble and to mortifie our own Passions Oh! that our worldy Sorrows may cure and turn us from being any longer fond of this World and from feeding our selves with any vain and ensnaring Hopes or Desires thereof And that whilst we are daily crossed in our Fleshly Desires we may cease to be any longer bent upon our own Wills and may in all things resign our selves up to thine Let not our Persecutions O! Gracious God be lost upon us nor let us be unprofitable Schollars in the School of Affliction Let it not be justly chargeable on us that Tribulations could not mend us nor the fiery Trial resine our Spirits and purge away our Dross But bring us by our Sufferings to know our selves and to set light by all Earthly things and to take up with thee for our Portion and with the Sure and Blessed Hopes of thine Everlasting Mercies thro' the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 5. A Prayer for the Churches Defence and Deliverance from Persecutions UNder all its Wants and Backslidings Sorrows and Distresses look thou upon thy Church O! Lord and support and deliver it Many are they who Combine against it and great is their Power and Vigilant and Earnest is their Care and Endeavour to suppress and destroy it And against all their Assaults it has no other Defence but thy Grace and good Providence Do not thou forsake it then O! God for it flies to thee and rests on thee alone for Succor Maintain it for it is thine own Cause And if it be cast down thine Enemies and theirs will tryumph Take the Matter therefore into thine Hand for no other is sufficient for it and thou art most concerned therein Bring it safe through this Fiâ—ry Trial and let it not be consumed thereby but as Gold is only purged and putrified of its Dross Give it a Cure O! Lord of all its Errors and Impurities and quietness in the End from Persecutions and Grace not to grow careless or be Corrupted by days of Ease but to improve the same in doing thee Honour and Service with more Freedom and fewer Interruptions thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 15. A Thanksgiving for any Comfortable Cessation or for Rest and Ease from Persecution BLessed be thy Great and Glorious Name O! Father of Mercies and God of all Comforts for the comfort of these days of ease from our former Tribulations Thou hast in great pity considered our Frailty and Weakness and hath not suffered the Rod of the Persecutors to lie too heavy or rest too long upon oâ—r Backs Thou hast not been Deaf to our Desires when we called upon thee nor suffered our Hopes in thy Gracious Promises to â—ail Thou hast fulfilled thy Word unto thy Servants who served and suffered for thee in Confidence thereof and hast made the Wicked to cease from troubling us and exchanged the Fiery Trial of their ungodly Violence for
the least let thine O! thou blessed Helper of the Helpless appear the most for me Give me a Body O! my God fit to bear the Inconveniences of this close place and Grace to be content therewith Whilst I lie up here let me not want necessary Provisions nor repine at the meanness thereof Suit the lowness of my Desires to the hardship of my Circumstances and let the greatness of my study and care be to do Justice and shew Temperance and Self-denials not to please my self or to gratifie my own Carnal Ease and Appetites Whilst I am here kept apart from my former acquaintance Grant O! Lord that I may carefully retire into my Self and call mine own ways to remembrance And Oh! that I may amend whatsoever is amiss there and set all so streight with thee that I may delight to look into my own Heart and to search out my own Spirit Lord now thou hast left me nothing else to do make me apply my self wholly to the one thing necessary To grow in Holy Reverence and Devotion of Spirit in the study of dealing justly and fairly with all who are any way concerned with me in Humility apud mortified Affections in Patience and Contentedness Oh! plant and fill my Soul with all Heavenly Virtues and make bright all the cloudy and dark parts thereof with the Rays of thy divine Image And then O! my God I shall see something of thee as oft as I look into my self and learn to be pleased with my own Company though others are kept from me And in whatsoever want I am of other Comforts grant O! Father of Mercies that both here and ever hereafter I may have the Comfort of thy Presence When all else are taken from me do not thou forsake me Though I dwell in a disconsolate Room let thy Spirit dwell with me Let thy Law at all times direct me and let the Sense of thy Love comfort me And after thou hast Graciously improved this Melancholy Restraint to wean me from vain and carnal Delight and to set my Soul free in thy good time O! my refuge and strength deliver me out of this Prison and set my Body too at Liberty for my dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen The Prisoner for Righteousness may use the preceding Prayers for Integrity for Constancy in persecuted Duties for Faith for Trust in God for Patience for Charity towards Persecuters c. in the foregoing Office for Sufferers â—or Righteousness as he sees cause And for more particular Circumstances and needs of such as are Prisoners for the same they may express the Devotion of their Spirit in these Prayers following 2. Particular Prayers 1. A Prayer for the Prisoner for any part of Truth or Righteousness to use in his Family O! Father of Mercies who takest the Poor and Helpless under thine own more immediate and especial care when thou takest those from them whose part it is under thee to take care of them shew the Riches of thy Grace and Loving-kindness I humbly intreat thee to my Dear Wife and Children Guide them always by thy Holy Spirit and watch over them with an indulgent providence Keep them obedient to Councel and continue them under the Blessing of her care Preserve them from Want and protect them from Danger and make them a mutual Comfort and Support to each other And in the midst of all my Troubles continue both her and them a constant Comfort and Refreshment to me thy poor unworthy Servant And let me not O! Gracious God make them unhappy Or if we suffer in common for standing off from prevailing Violence and because we will not concurr or stake in with the wicked Actings of an unrighteous Generation let none of us repine at such Sufferings but look upon them as Afflions that are willing to be embraced yea rather Triumphantly to be rejoyced in I humbly desire O! Father that may all trust thee with our selves and cheerfully rest upon thy Faithfulness to make up to us any Losses which shall befal us on such accounts Thy good Providence is a great and blessed portion in such cases as praised be thy Name thy Saints have found in all times by joyful Experience And to that good Providence O! my God do I trust It shall always be my Hope and Confidence and oh that as it is the truest Blessing so it may ever be the happy portion both of me and mine thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 2. Prayers for the Prisoner for Truth or Righteousness to use for himself 1. A Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies and Prosecutors when at any time or any where he is put in Prison for any Parts of Truth or Righteousness O! Merciful God who art the Helper of the Helpless and a Refuge for the oppressed in the Day of their Troubles be thou my Fortress and Help against my Persecutors They are mine Enemies O! Lord for thy sake and therefore set themselves thus violently against me because they cannot drive me to leave thee And I have no visible way left to appease their Hatred because I dare not forsake a jsut Cause or go along with them in speaking and acting against that which is right And these mine Enemies are many and Mighty and they persecute me violently and have laid a Trap for my Soul and there is none to help me But though I can neither appease their Hatred nor withstand it yet thou O! Lord canst alter it at thy Pleasure or if they persist therein thou canst disappoint them And to thee do I flee and look for Succour Help me therefore O! my Ged for in thee do I trust Help thou me for I have none else to help me for Deceitful are the Promises and vain is the help of Men. Make haste to help me for Trouble is hard at Hand Turn the Hearts of mine Enemies for seeking my Life or if they will persevere therein bring to nought their evil Purposes Forgive them Gracious Father and bring not them into such a Pâ—t as they have digged for me But Preserve me from falling into it and from being lost in the Depth thereof for my dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen 2. A Prayer for Deliverance from Frail and Faithless Friends when they are brought in at such Times to accuse him for the same YEA O! Gracious Father not only the Envy and Malice of mine Enemies but the weakness of my own familiar Friends is made use of to destroy me And a violent Temptation is laid before them to compass their own Safety by joyning to compass my Fall But the Hearts of all Men O! Almighty Lord are in thine Hand Thou canst at thy Pleasure fortifie the fearful and fix the wavering and unresolved Spirit and give Fidelity Honour and Conscience such Power with them as shall prevail over their corrupt Fears and worldly Interests Thou canst as easily strengthen the weakness of my Friends and keep them from
devotion For besides the kindling and quickning of devout affections and the strengthening and supporting of their spirits amidst their Heavy Tryals when they use them as sacred Hymns or as matter of their Religious Meditations These Texts will teach them the necessity and help to shew them the Nature and Offices of all those respective Duties which are as the salt to the sacrifice without which their own Oblation of themselves would be insipid and their Losses for Christ's sake would neither gain his favour and acceptance nor effectually recommend and do Honour to his Cause And both the Scriptures collected and the Prayers composed for these ends are as follows An OFFICE for Sufferers for Righteousness under Persecutions Scriptures for those who suffer for Righteousness Psal. 94. Ps. 125. Heb. 12. to v. 18. 2 Cor. 1. to v. 13. Ps. 12. Ps. 14. Is. 51. Heb. 10. v. 23. to end I. For Receiving Persecutions as Chastisements for former Offences WHen we suffer striving against sin we are chasten'd and corrected of the Lord Heb. 12. 4 5. 6. 9. The time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God 1 Pet. 4. 17. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he plead my Cause and execute judgement for me Mich. 7. 9. O Israel Return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Hos. 14. 1. Remember your ways and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled and loath your selves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed Ezek. 20. 43. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place unless thou repent Rev. 2. 5. If the Fig-tree continues barren the Lord will say to the Dresser of his Vineyard cut it down Luk. 13. 6 7. Without Repentance the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof Matthew 21. 43. II. For Receiving Persecutions as Tryals of our Obedience and as they bring upon us Losses for Righteousness 1. To be received with Contentedness and with Thankfulness If the world hate you you know that it hated me before it hated you Remember the word that I said unto you the Servant is not greater than the Lord. If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you If you were of the world the world would love his own but because you are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore doth the world hate you Joh. 15. 18 19 20. If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on that behalf If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you Rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his Glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4. 13 14 16. Rejoyce and be exceeding glad and leap for joy for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Matth. 5. 11. 12. Luke 6. 23. 2. With free Confession of Christ and his Truths If ye suffer for Righteousness sake sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts And be not afraid of their terror neither be troubled and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and reverence 1 Pet. 3. 14. 15. Whosoever shall confess me before men him will I also confess before my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven Mat. 10. 32 33. For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10. 10. 3. With Integrity and Prudent Caution And let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls unto him in well-doing as into the hands of a faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4. 19. Hold up my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Psal. 17. 15. Tho' all this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined out of thy way Tho' thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death Psal. 44. 17 18 19. Stand having your loyns girt about with Truth and having on the breast-plate of Righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Eph. 6. 14. 15. Walk in wisdom towards those that are without redeeming the time Let your speech be always with grace seasoned with salt that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man Col. 4. 5 6. See that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil Eph. 5. 15 16. Beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Councils And ye shall be brought before Governours and Kings for my sake Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves Mat. 10. 16 17 18. 4. With Steadfastness and Constancy Finally my Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Eph. 6. 10. Stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing terrified by your Adversaries Phil. 1. 27. 28. Contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints Jud. 3. Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil That ye may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand Eph. 6. 11. 13. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful who hath promised Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching Heb. 10. 23. 25. And now Lord behold their threatnings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word Act. 4. 29. 5. With Faith 1. Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God Above all taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Eph. 6. 13. 16. Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward Heb. 10. 35. 38. Look unto Jesus who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God Heb. 12. 2. It is a faithful saying if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. Our light