A SVPPLY OF PRAYER For the Ships of this KINGDOM That want MINISTERS to Pray with them AGREEABLE TO THE DIRECTORY Established by PARLIAMENT Published by Authority May 16 LONDON Printed for Iohn Field and are to be sold at his house upon Addle-hill 1645 A Reason of this Work WHereas there are thousands of ships belonging to this Kingdom which have not Ministers with them to guide them in Prayer and therefore either use the old Form of Common-Prayer or no Prayer at all The former whereof for many weighty Reasons hath been abolished and the latter is likely to make them rather Heathens then Christians the Lords day being left without any mark of Piety or Devotion Therefore to avoid these Inconveniences It hath been thought fit to frame some Prayers agreeing with the Directory established by Parliament It being hoped that it will be no grief of heart to wise and full Christians if the thirsty drink out of Cisterns when themselves drink out of Fountains But they will rather pity the wants of their needy Brethren and out of Compassion immitate him who filleth the hungry with good things These Prayers being enlivened and sent up by the Spirit in him that prayeth may be lively Prayers and acceptable to him who is a Spirit and accepts of service in Spirit and Truth And in truth though Prayers come never so new even from the Spirit in one that is a guide in Prayer if the Spirit do not quicken and enliven that Prayer in the Hearer that follows him it is to him but a dead Form and a very carcase of Prayer The Company being assembled they may thus begin with Prayer O Lord in all reverence and humility we acknowledge thy incomprehensible Greatnesse and Majesty in whose presence we do now in a speciall manner appear and our own vilenesse and unworthinesse to approach so neer thee with our utter inability of out selves to such a holy duty And we humbly beseech thee for pardon assistance and acceptance in the whole service now to be performed and for a Blessing on the particular portions of thy Word now to be read and all in the Name and Mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ In whose name and words wee pray unto thee farther saying Our Father c. After this some Psalms and Chapters being read out of both Testaments but none out of those Books which are commonly called Apocrypha and a Psalm being sung a Prayer may follow in this manner O Great and gracious Lord we acknowledge before thee our sinfulnesse first by reason of Originall sin which besides the guilt of it which makes us lyable to eternall damnation is the seed of all other sins and hath depraved and poysoned all the faculties and powers of soul and body and doth defile our best actions and were it not restrained or our hearts renewed by Grace would break forth into innumerable Transgressions and the greatest Rebellions against the Lord that ever were committed by the vilest of the sons of men And next we acknowledge the guilt of Actuall sins our own sins the sins of Magistrates of Ministers and of the whole Nation unto which we are many wayes accessary Which sins of ours receive many fearfull aggravations we having broken all the Commandements of the holy just and good Law of God doing that which is forbidden and leaving undone what is enjoyned and that not onely out of ignorance and infirmity but also more presumptuously against the light of our mindes checks of our consciences and motions of thy holy Spirit to the contrary so that we have no cloak for our sins yea we have not onely despised the riches of Gods goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering which should leade us to Repentance and Holinesse but have stood out against many invitations and offers of Grace in the Gospel not endeavouring as we ought to receive Christ into our hearts by Faith or to walk worthy of him in our lives We bewail our blindnesse of minde hardnesse of heart unbelief impenitency security luke warmnesse barrennesse our not endeavouring after Mortification and newnesse of life nor after the exercise of Godlinesse in the power thereof and that the best of us have not so stedfastly walked with God kept our Garments so unspotted nor been so zealous of thy glory and the good of others as wee ought notwithstanding the manifold and great mercies of thee our God the love of Christ the light of the Gospel and Reformation of Religion our own Purposes Promises Vows Solemn Covenants and other speciall obligations to the contrary We acknowledge and confesse that as we are convinced of our guilt so out of a deep sense thereof we judge our selves unworthy of the smallest benefits most worthy of thy fiercest wrath and of all the curses of the Law and heaviest judgements inflicted upon the most Rebellious sinners and that thou mightest most justly take thy Kingdom and Gospel from us plague us with all sorts of Spirituall and Temporall judgements in this life and after cast us into utter darknesse in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone where is weeping and gnashing of Teeth for evermore Notwithstanding all which we draw neer to the Throne of Grace encouraging our selves with hope of a gracious answer of our Prayers in the Riches and All-sufficiency of that onely one Oblation the satisfaction and Intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ at the right hand of his Father and our Father and in confidence of the exceeding great and precious promises of Mercy and Grace in the new Covenant through the same Mediator thereof And we pray thee for his sake to turn away thy heavie wrath and curse from us which we are not able to avoid or bear and humbly and earnestly beseech thee out of thy free Grace and Mercy to grant unto us the full Remission of all our sins and that onely for the bitter sufferings and precious merits of that our onely Saviour Jesus Christ O that the Lord would vouchsafe to shed abroad his love in our hearts by the holy Ghost to seal unto us by the same Spirit of Adoption the full assurance of our Pardon and Reconciliation That he would comfort all that mourn in Zion speak peace to the wounded and troubled spirits and binde up the broken hearted And as for secure and presumptuous sinners Lord open their eyes convince their consciences and turn them from darknesse unto light and from the power of Satan unto God that they also may receive forgivenesse of sin and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith in Christ Jesus With remission of sins through the blood of Christ we pray thee also to give us Sanctification by his Spirit Morâ—ification of sin dwelling in us and many times tyrannizing over us the quickning of our dead Spirits with the life of God in Christ Grace to fit and enable us for all duties of conversation and callings towards God and Man strength against temptations the sanctified use of Blessings
and Crosses and perseverance in Faith and Obedience to our lives end through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen A Prayer for the Church Vniversall and our United Churches and Kingdoms O Lord who doest gather to thy self a Church out of all Nations we beseech thee to this end to Propagate thy Gospel and the Kingdom of Christ Jesus to all Nations convert the Jews fill up the fulnesse of the Gentiles hasten the fall of Antichrist and the second coming of our Lord Grant deliverance to the distressed Churches abroad from the Tyranny of the Antichristian Faction and from the cruell oppressions and blasphemies of the Turke We pray thee send thy Blessing upon all the Reformed Churches especially upon the Churches and Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland now more strictly and Religiously united in the Solemne League and Covenant We pray thee for our Plantations in the remote parts of the world more particularly for that Church and Kingdom whereof we are Members that therein God would establish Peace and Truth the Purity of all his Ordinances and the power of godlines prevent and remove Heresie Schisme Prophaneness Superstition security and unfruitfulnesse under the means of Grace heal our rents and divisions and preserve us from breach of our Solemn Covenant We pray thee for all in Authority especially for the Kings Majesty that God would make him rich in Blessings both in his Person and Government Establish his Throne in Religion and Righteousnesse save him from evil Counsell and make him a blessed and glorious Instrument for the conservation and propagation of the Gospel for the incouragement and protection of them that do well the terrour of all that do evil and the great good of the Church of Christ and of these United Kingdoms We pray thee convert the Queen give a Religious Education to the Prince and the rest of the Royall Seed comfort the afflicted Queen of Bohemia Sister to our Soveraign We pray thee for the Restitution and Establishment of the illustrious Prince The Elector Palatine of the Rhene to all his Dominions and Dignities Blesse the High Court of Parliament the Nobility the subordinate Judges and Magistrates the Gentry and all the Commonalty Blesse all Pastors and Teachers O Lord fill them with thy spirit and make them exemplarily holy sober just peaceable and gracious in their lives sound faithfull and powerfull in their Ministry and follow all their labours with abundance of successe and blessing And give unto all thy People Pastors according to thy own heart Blesse the Universities and all Schools and Religious Seminaries of Church and Common-wealth that they may flourish more and more in Learning and Piety Powre out a blessing upon the Ministery of the Word Sacraments and Discipline give thy mercy and consolation to the afflicted under any inward or outward distresse Lord give unto us seasonable Weather and Fruitfull Seasons Lord turne away thy Judgements that we feel or fear or are liable unto whether Famine Pestilence Sword or any other With all outward means of salvation be graciously pleased to powre out the spirit of Grace into our hearts causing us to attaine such a measure of the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord and in him of the things which belong to our Peace that we may account all things but as dung in comparison of him and that we tasting the first fruits of the glory that is to be revealed may long for a more full and perfect Communion with him that where he is we may be also and enjoy the fulnesse of those joyes and pleasures which are at thy Right hand for evermore and all this through the same Christ Jesus our onely Mediator and Advocate Amen After this Prayer a Psalm may be sung and the conclusion may be with a Thanksgiving and Blessing The Thanksgiving VVE give thee thanks most gracious Father the Fountain of every good and perfect gift for all thy blessings both Spirituall and Temporall especially for thy great love in sending thy Son Christ Jesus unto us for the Communication of thy holy spirit for the light and liberty of thy glorious Gospel and the rich heavenly blessings revealed therein as namely our Election Vocation Adoption Justification Sanctification and hope of glory for the admirable goodnesse of God in freeing the land from Antichristian darknesse and Tyranny and for all other Nationall deliverances We blesse thee for the Reformation of our Religion our continuall preservation and for many other Temporall blessings We pray thee for the continuance of all thy favours and blessings and particularly of thy Gospel and all the Ordinances thereof in their purity power and liberty We pray thee make thy word powerfull that it may abide in our hearts and bring forth fruit in our live and conversations We beseech thee fit and prepare us for death and judgement and that we may watch for the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ We intreat thee forgive the iâ—iquity of our holy things and accept of our Spirituall sacrifices through the merit and mediation of our great High Priest and Saviour the Lord Christ Jesus Amen Prayer for a Blessing THE Lord blesse us and keep us the Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us the Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us his Peace And the very God of Peace sanctifie us wholly that our whole spirit soul and body may be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ And the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with us all Amen A Prayer particularly fitted for those that travell upon the Seas O Lord who art the hope of the ends of the Earth and of those that are upon the wide Sea by whose Providence men go down to the Sea in Ships and follow businesse in great Waters we pray thee to take both Ship and persons under thy protection and preservation and let a blessing come from thee upon our businesses and endeavours And Lord though we by our sins have deserved rather curses then blessings yet we pray thee to deal with us not according to our sins and our own deservings but according to thy infinite free mercy and the merits of thy son Christ Jesus which are of an infinite value Behold us in him we beseech thee in whom thou art well pleased and in him be well pleased with us And Lord we pray thee that he may be unto us not onely justification from the guile of sin but sanctification to deliver us from the power and service of sin that we may be partakers of his Holinesse without which no man shall see thee And Lord while we are upon the Seas cause us to take notice of thy great works for thou hast made the Sea and therein creatures innumerable both small and great And while wee behold things created by thee let our hearts be lifted up to thee who hast
created them to worship thee to love thee and to serve thee by whom and for whom all things were created Keep us Lord from storms and tempests and if they shall arise let thy word come forth and turn the storm into a calm make the Waters still and bring us in good season to the Haven of our desires In the mean time preserve us also from Sea-thieves Enemies and other dangers to which our Voyages are subject And Lord when thou shalt preserve us and bring us home in safety give us grace to be truly and really thankfull to thee and to expresse our Thankfulnesse in a holy life and conversation that we may serve and please thee who preservest us And let not thy often preservations of us make us the lesse sensible of them but rather the more thankfull to thee for them For Lord we confesse such is the corruption of our nature that when we often passe through dangers and escape them we take lesse notice of thy gracious providence and preservation in them whereas we should be the more thankfull to thee the more thou multipliest thy favours upon us But Lord yet very far be it from us upon our returns to return to folly and sin and that we whom thou preservest should offend thee by sinfull courses in stead of serving thee and being thankfull to thee For then mayest thou justly come upon us by thy judgements in an hour which we think not on and let in the Seas and other dangers upon us to swallow us up and devoure us and after give us our portion in a Lake of Fire that burneth for evermore But Lord we pray thee to guide us ever by thy grace and not to leave us to our selves and our own corruptions but through all the passages of this our pilgrimage both upon Sea and Land leade us by thy good Spirit and bring us at last to the true Haven of Blessedness and place of rest which is above in thy presence where is fulnesse of joy and where are pleasures for evermore Hear us O Lord and accept our persons and prayers through thy beloved son Christ Jesus who sitting at thy right hand makes intercession for us to whom with the Almighty Father and the most blessed and holy Spirit be all honour service and praise from this time forth for evermore Amen A Prayer in a Storm O Lord we acknowledge that by thy own Providence and will this storm is now come upon us for thy Word hath taught us that thou commandest and raisest the stormy Winds which lift up the waves of the Sea so that they mount up to the Heaven and go down again to the Depths and the souls of men are melted because of trouble and they are at their wits ends And Lord we confesse that we have sins enough to draw down all thy storms upon us and to overwhelm us with all thy waves But Lord we beseech thee to make our hearts to search themselves as for all sins so for those especially which may draw down this great Tempest upon us and let us cast out these sins as the Marrineâ—â— cast out Jonah and let the wind and Sea cease from their raging And Lord we pray thee that we may so cast them out that we may never take them in again lest greater storms overtake us For we acknowledge that where sin is there must storms be expected Storms and Tempests Fire and Brimstone are the portion of sinners grant us also such grace that we may not only hate our sins and cast them out because they are followed with storms and Iudgements but because they are odious in themselves being contrary to thy Righteous Law and to thee who art the Fountain and Rule of Righteousnesse And Lord let us also take thy Son Christ Jesus into our souls to sanctifie them and Raign in them remembring also that Christ Jesus makes a Calm in the souls where he Raigns for being justified by him we have Peace with God and he also when he was here below being in the Ship made a calm there also and commanded the winds to be still Lord we pray thee grant at this time both these calms unto us for as thy Word told us that when thou commandest a storm ariseth so it also sheweth us that when men cry to thee in their trouble thou bringest them out of their distresse thou makest the storm a calm and the waves of the Sea are still then are men glad because they be quiet and thou bringest them to their desired Haven Lord we beseech thee let it be now to thy servants according to this thy Word and then let that also be done which justly followeth Let us Praise the Lord for his goodnesse and his wonderfull workes to the sons of men Let us Exalt thee in the Congregation of the People and Praise thee in the Assembly of the Elders And if the Heathen Marriners which carryed Jonah being delivered from the storm did fear the Lord exceedingly and offered Sacrifice to the Lord and made Vows Let us much more who have the light of the Gospel in so great a measure beyond them fear thee greatly and offer to thee the Sacrifices of Praise and make Vows of better Obedience And Lord having made such Vows assist us by thy grace that we may perform them and cause us all our lives to carry with us and in us the same thoughts and resolutions of holinesse and good Conversation which we have when we are in a storm and not obey thee worse after deliverances then we resolved to do in dangers And Lord how soever thou shalt please to dispose of us we do here cast our selves down under thy Mighty hand We submit our selves to thee as the clay to the Potter to do with us what is good in thy fight for thou hast promised that all shall turn to good to those whom thou hast chosen And hast further shewed us that neither life nor death can separate us from thy love that is in Christ Jesus Let it be so unto thy servants let thy love alwayes be towards us in Christ Jesus the Son of thy Love Whatsoever Iudgements fall on our bodies let our souls be saved by the Lord Jesus Let us so be knit unto him by a lively Faith that we may be partakers of him and in him of life Eternall And having a sure hope and confidence hereof let us desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all and at our dissolution speak with assurance to be heard Lord Iesus Receive our Spirits Hear us O Lord and grant us our Petitions and whatsoever thy wisdom knows to be best for us which is far beyond all that we can ask or think and all for the sake of thy Son and our blessed Saviour through whom alone we and our Prayers have accesse unto thee to whom with thy Gâ—orious self and most Holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory Praise and Thanksgiving Service and Obedience from this time forth and for evermore Amen FINIS