AN EARNEST EXHORTATION FROM A Minister TO HIS PARISHIONERS To Discharge the DUTY of Morning AND Evening Prayer IN THEIR FAMILIES WITH A Collection of PRAYERS suited to those two SEASONS WORCESTER Printed by S. Bryan An Exhortation to Family PRAYER ALTHO' Prayer in Our Families is a Duty that we owe to Almighty God and is both reasonable in it self and highly advantagious to us yet 'tis to be feared that there are too many Families amongst us who are fallen into such a thoughtless State as to go on in a daily Neglect of it That you may not persevere in this Sin which is the Occasion of many other for want of Arguments to diswade you from it or for want of Helps to enable you to Discharge it as you ought I have put this small Book into your Hand and that God may make it Effectual to perswade and assist you to Discharge this Duty which is so Advantagious to your Souls is the Prayer of him who sincerely and heartily wisheth their Salvation To make you sensible of the Benefit of Praying to God in your Family I desire you to consider First The many Dangers to which we are Exposed and that we cannot by our own Skill or Strength avoid them The Body is liable to a hundred Diseases and many Accidents as Fatal and the Soul to infinite Temptations from the World the Flesh and the Devil and the only Security we have against Dangers is God's Providence and against Temptation the Assistance of his Grace which because we daily want we must daily pray for and 'tis great Encouragement for us to do so 2dly Because Christ hath promised his Presence with us Mat 18. 19 20. Where two or three are gathered together there am I in the midst of them He will be always ready to hear and assist the Prayers of good Men in what Place or at what time soever they are made more especially when they are sent up with united Hearts and Souls A Third Encouragement to Family Prayers is that it promotes Religion in them for no Member thereof can wholly forget God and another World while they are every Day reminded of both in Prayer Children are hereby trained up from their Infancy in a Habit of Devotion and Servants have an Opportunity of serving God their great Master every Day and by this means Parents and Masters Discharge God's strict Command of bringing up their Children and Servants in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord hereby they Plant in their Hearts a true sense of Piety and Devotion and they when they come to be Parents and Masters will teach their Children and Servants the same There is a general Complaint and I would to God there were no reason for it that the Age we now live in is most abominably Wicked that there is not only a Decay of Christian Piety but Mens Hearts are set upon Wickedness and though we may wish and Pray for a Reformation of Manners yet it cannot be expected till we and our Families keep the Lord's-Day more Holy and till we set up in our Families constant Morning and Evening Prayer for by this means the Spirit of Religion will be transmitted at least to the Generations to come 4thly family-Family-Prayers are a great Check to all the vicious Members in them for they will put them in mind that there is a God and another World and that those who Expect to be happy hereafter must daily beg of God that they may live Holy Lives whilst they are here This is the great End and Design of all our Prayers And although Persons who have long continued in a Habit of Sin may not heartily join with their more pious Brethren yet they will be thereby put in mind that where daily Prayers are continued in a Family it is in order to preserve them from Dangers and Temptations and to secure their everlasting Happiness after the Troubles and Miseries of this Life are ended and they may be brought sometime or other to believe that 'tis not safe for them to continue in those Sins which they hear their Fellow Christians Pray so heartily against every Day that God would deliver them from The Sermons of Ministers are through Prejudice Carelessness and Hardness of Heart soon forgotten But when the Thoughts of God and another World are thus daily renew'd in their daily Prayers they will be some Check to the wicked Inclinations and wicked Courses of desperate Sinners and I question not but many of them have been restrain'd and some reform'd from their Wickedness by living in such Families where daily Prayers have been kept up Fifthly As Family-Prayers are thus useful to reform the bad Members of it so are they an Excellent Means of Confirming those that are good and to cause them to persevere and grow in Grace and so to fit them more and more for Glory The Hearts of Men are generally inclin'd to what is Evil and averse to what is Good they are daily exposed to the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil and too apt to be Overcome by them and therefore God hath made it our constant Work to watch and strive against them For the doing of this Effectually he hath enjoyn'd Reading and Meditating on his Holy Word and more especially daily Prayer for this Duty will be of the greatest Advantage to us as it tends to awaken our Care and Diligence in the Business of Religion and as it does if 'tis sincerely Perform'd effectually engage the Divine Assistance to second our Care and Endeavours and secure them from Miscarriage and without the aid of God's Spirit and his Blessing upon our Endeavours they will be ineffectual and signify nothing and this aid is not to be obtain'd without Prayer 'Tis this which invites this blessed Guest into our Souls and causeth him to enter in and dwell there and to make us more hearty and successful in our Endeavours after that Holiness without which we cannot see God And since our daily Prayers contain in them Confession of our Sins if we pray with Understanding and so as to mind what we are doing they will put us under a Necessity of daily Examination by which our Repentance will keep Pâ—ace with our Transgression we shall have a better Knowledge of our Spiritual State and we shall be better prepar'd to render up our Accounts when God doth call for them Sixthly By keeping up daily Prayers in our Families we shall more readily and more devoutly attend upon the Publick Service in the Church where all good Christians are oblig'd to meet on the Lord's day with united Hearts to render thanks for those Benefits which we have received at his Hands to set forth his most worthy Praise to hear his most holy Word and to ask those things that are requisite and necessary as well for the Body as the Soul For 'tis the same Spirit of Devotion that doth make us fit both for Publick and Private Prayer and happy is that Soul
who takes care to keep it up and will not suffer it to fall and languish as most certainly it will do for want of daily Exercise This is too evident amongst the poorer sort of People who having stupidly omitted the Duty of Prayer in their own House proceed at last to a total Neglect of it in God's Nor hath this Neglect of Family-Prayer only had this unlucky Influence on the Poor as to make them neglect Publick Prayer but it hath had almost as bad a one upon those who are of better understanding and better ability for some of them being strangers to the devout Performance of Prayers in their Families upon week days they do not perform it with that Spirit which they ought upon Sundays for their Hearts are cold and their thoughts as well as their Eyes are wandering Seventhâ—y In order to promote Prayers in your Families let me desire you to consider that dreadful imprecation upon those Families which are Prayerless Jer. 10 25. Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that have not called upon thy Name This Curse hath entred in a visible manner upon many Prayerless Families whom God in his Judgment hath given up to a reprobate Sense and vile Affections to commit all Uncleanness with greediness and fall from one Wickedness to another without any stop or restraint O let the dread of this Judgment prevail with you to set up Prayers in your Families that so you may prevent its falling on them Lastly Let us consider that there are terrible Days which will come and altho' our Prayers cannot prevent them yet by the constant and devout Exercise of Prayer we shall be better prepar'd for them and therefore our blessed Saviour doth most earnestly exhort his Disciples to this holy Exercise Luke 21. 34 35 36. Take heed to your least at any time your hearts be overcharged with Surfeitings and Drunkenness and the cares of this Life and so that Day come upon you unawares for as a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of the Earth watch ye therefore and Pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man So that watching and praying are the best Preparation against all evil Days that may come but more especially our greatest Support at those most terrible Days of Death and Judgment which certainly will come There are two Excuses which Men generally make for their omitting this Duty which I shall shew the Weakness and Insufficiency of First The want of Time Secondly The want of Ability to perform it First As for the want of time to perform it I beg you to consider whether 'tis not very unmannerly as well as very sinful to answer God when he calls you to Prayers I will come when I have nothing else to do And how would you take such an Answer from your Child or your Servant 〈◊〉 Besides you cannot spend any part of your Time better than in Prayer because that time which is thus spent will turn to your greatest Advantage both in respect of this Life and another For as it procures Gods Blessing upon you it will be a means of making you prosper in the World more than all your other Labours can without it and as it will promote the good of your Souls in the several respects before-mention'd 'twill turn to your highest and most unspeakable benefit hereafter Besides the Prayers that are here recommended to you will take up so very little time that it cannot be any considerable hind rance to those that work hardest and have most Business to do And I am sure no Man ought so to imploy his time for the Service of his Body as utterly to neglect his Soul And I am afraid there are many who every day spend more time than this Duty does require much worse And I earnestly beg you to consider how little this Excuse can avail with God Almighty when at the same time you make it your own Consciences must tell you that 'tis not true As for the Second hind rance of this Duty of Prayer that you want Ability to perform it as you ought I have for your assistance collected the following Prayers out of the Common-Prayer Book and the Prayer for Grace out of the whole Duty of Man and if you offer them up to God as our Church directs with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart they will be an acceptable Morning and Evening Sacrifice to Him May all those for whose use this short Exhortation to Family-Prayer is Printed read it often and consider it seriously as a matter that Concerns the Good of their Souls and may as many as have not set up this Godly Practice in their Families put on a Resolution to begin it this Day and not any longer neglect that Duty which conduceth so much to promote the Glory of God and the Salvation of their Children and Servants Souls as well as of their own Prayers for MORNING LOrd we know not what to pray for as we ought O let thy blessed Spirit help our Infirmities and keep us from all cold desires and wandering Thoughts from Impenitence Uncharitableness and hardness of Heart and whatsoever may make them unacceptable to thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmighty and everlasting God who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent create in us new and contrite Hearts that we worthily lamenting our Sins and acknowledging our Wretchedness may obtain of thee the God of all Mercy perfect remission and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmighty and most merciful Father we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts We have offended against thy holy laws We have left undone those things which we ought to have done And we have done those things which we ought not to have done And there is no health in us But thou O Lord have mercy upon us miserable Sinners Spare thou them O God which confess their faults Restore thou them that are penitent According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And Grant O most merciful Father for his sake That we may hereafter live a godly righteous and sober life to the glory of thy holy Name Amen O Lord we beseech thee to hear our Prayers and spare all those who confess their Sins unto thee That they whose Consciences by Sin are accused by thy merciful Pardon may be absolved through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O God who art the Author of Peace and Lover of Concord in Knowledge of whom standeth our eternal Life whose Service is perfect Freedom Defend us thy humble Servants in all Assaults of our Enemies that we surely trusting in thy Defence may not fear the Power of any Adversaries
through the Might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Lord our Heavenly Father Almighty and Everlasting God who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day Defend us in the same by thy mighty Power and grant that this day we fall into no Sin neither run into any kind of Danger but that all our doings may be ordered by thy Governance to do always that is righteous in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmighty and everlasting God who art always more ready to hear than we to pray and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve pour down upon us the abundance of thy Mercy forgiving us those things whereof our Conscience is afraid and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Lord who hast taught us that Flesh and Blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Give us Grace we beseech thee so to subdue all its sinful Motions and Suggestions that we may wholly submit to the Guidance of thy holy Spirit and forsaking ill worldly and carnal Affections may be evermore ready to follow thy holy Commandments through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O God the Creator and Preserver of all Mankind we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways known unto them thy saving health unto all Nations More especially we pray for the good eâ—tate of the Catholick Church that it may be so guided and govern'd by thy good Spirit that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth and hold the faith in unity of spirit in the bond of Peace and in righteousness of Life Finally we commend to thy Fatherly goodness all those who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind body or estate that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities giving them patience under their sufferings and a happy issue out of all their Afflictions And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake Amen ALmighty God Father of all Mercies we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us and to all â—en We bless thee for our Creation Preserâ—ation and all the blessings of this Life but â—bove all for thine inestimable love in the Reâ—emption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ for the means of Grace and for the hope of glory And we beseech thee give us that due sense of all thy mercies that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful and that we may shew forth thy praise not only with our lips but in our lives by giving up our to thy service and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end Amen ALmighty God who hast promised to hear the petitions of them that ask in thy Sons Name We beseech thee mercifully to incline thine ear to us who have made now our prayers and supplications unto thee and grant that those things which we have faithfully asked according to thy will may effectually be obtain'd to the relief of our necessities and to the setting forth of thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen OVR 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 Amen THE Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ anâ— the love of God and the fellowship oâ— the holy Ghost be with us all this day and eveâ— Amen EVENING PRAYER LOrd we know not what to pray for as we ought O let thy blessed Spirit help our â—nfirmities and keep us from all cold Desires â—nd wandering Thoughts from all Hardness of Heart Impenitence and Uncharitableness and whatsoever may make our Prayers unacceptaâ—le to thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things Judge of all men we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness which we from time â—o time most grievously have committed by Thought Word and Deed against thy divine Majesty provoking most justly thy wrath and â—ndignation against us We do earnestly reâ—ent and are heartily sorry for our Mis-doâ—ngs the Remembrance of them is grievous to â—s the burden of them is intollerable Have mercy upon us have mercy upon us most merâ—iful Father for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christs sake forgive us all that is past and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in â—ewness of life to the honour and glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Most gracious God who dost so put away the sins of all them that truly repent that â—hou remembrest them no more Open thine Eye of Mercy upon us thy Servants who most â—arnestly desire pardon and forgiveness renew â—n us most loving Father whatsoever hath been â—ecayed by the fraud and malice of the Devil â—r by our own carnal Will and Frailness keep us in the unity of thy Church and make us living members of the same accept our repentance and impute not unto us our former sins strengthen our Faith and confirm us in all goodness and keep us in the same by thy Grace and bring us to everlasting Life through Jesuâ— Christ our Lord. Amen O God from whom all holy desires all gooâ— Counsels and all just Works do proceed Give unto thy servants that peace which thâ— world cannot give that both our hearts may bâ— set to obey thy Commandments and also that bâ— thee we being defended from the fear our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen O Lord who hast taught us that all our doings without Charity are nothing worth send thy holy Ghost and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of Charity the very bond of Peace and of all Vertues without which whosoever liveth is accounted dead before thee Grant this for thine only Son Jesuâ— Christ's sake Amen ALmighty God we are taught by thy holâ— Word that the hearts of Kings are in thâ— rule and governance receive our Prayers for thâ— Servant George set over us by thy gracious Providence to be our King and so together witâ— him bless George Prince of Wales and all thâ— Royal Family with the dew of thy heavenlâ— Spirit that they ever trusting in thy goodnesâ— protected by thy Power and Crowned by thâ— gracious and endless Favour may continue before thee in Health Peace Joy and Honour a long and happy life upon Earth and after death obtain everlasting life and glory in the Kingdom of Heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Most gracious Lord God from whom every good and perfect Gift cometh we wretched Creatures that are not able of our so much as to think a good thought beseech thee to work in us both to will and do according to thy good pleasure Inlighten our minds that we may know thee and let us not be barren or unfruitful in that knowledge Lord work in our hearts a true Faith a purifying hope and an unfeigned love towards thee give us a full trust on thee zeal for thee reverence of all things that relate to thee make us fearful to offend thee thankful for thy mercies humble under thy Corrections devout in thy Service sorrowful for our sins and grant that in all things we may behave our so as befits Creatures to their Creator and Servants to their Lord. Enable us likewise to perform that Duty which we owe to our give us that meekness humility and contentedness whereby we may always possess our souls in patience and thankfulness make us diligent in all our duties and perfectly pure and temperate Make us also to be so affected towards our Neighbour that we may never transgress that royal Law of thine of loving him as our grant us exactly to perform all parts of Justice yielding to all whatsoever by any kind of right becomes their due and give us such bowels of mercy and compassion that we may never fail to do all acts of charity to all men whether Friends or Enemies according to thy command and example Finally we beseech thee O Lord to sanctify us throughout that our whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory Amen O Lord we thank thee for the mercies of the day past and humbly beseech thee to watch over us this Night and preserve us and all that belongs to us from Sin and Danger And because we know neither the Day nor hour of our Masters coming grant us grace that we may be always ready and that we may never live in such a state as we shall be afraid to die but may take care so to live that we may die unto the Lord. Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name c. ALmighty God who hast given us Grace at this time with one accord to make our common Supplications unto thee and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their Requests fulfil now O Lord the Desires and Petitions of thy Servants as may be most expedient for us granting us in this World Knowledge of thy Truth and in the World to come Life everlasting Amen The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. FINIS