Prayer for a Familie O LORD our GOD we pray thee bee mercifull unto us stirre up we beseech thee our dull hearts out of a true sence of our sinnes and miseries and a lively faith in CHRIST JESVS and his pretious deservings to lift up our soules in prayers and praises unto thee O LORD how are we bound to magnifie thy great Name for all the loving kindnesse and great mercies vouchsafed us for preserving us this night past from the ills and dangers which no doubt have befallen many of our brethren as good by nature as our selves for refreshing our fraile bodies with quiet rest and sleepe and bringing us in health in strength and vigour of body to see the light of this day for that it hath pleased thee to reveale unto us the mysteries of godlinesse and some measure of saving truth which thou hast hid from many thousands of the greatest and wisest of the world For that thou hast preserv'd us from many fearefull transgressions and excesses of iniquity to which our corrupt nature would otherwise have led us For giving us the being of reasonable creatures and being borne in this blessed time and part of the world when and where thy glorious Gospell is on foot for the continuance of our health and strength of body for the usefullnesse and vigour of the powers of our soules and sences of which for abusing them we have deserv'd ere this to have beene fearefully deprived For our ingenuous and godly education for our Christian company and good counsell we have many times by thy mercies enjoyed For thy Word and Sacraments the glorious meanes of our conversion and continuance in grace For many gracious mercies by which thou hast laboured gently and fairely to draw us unto thee For those judgements which thou hast sent to humble us and to bring us to repentance For the inlarging of our time for storing our selves with Grace and comfort against the day of our visitation For our freedome from many miseries crosses and vexations which befall other our brethren better then our selves For that it hath pleased thee by thine everlasting decree out of thine owne boundlesse goodnesse and blessed pleasure to save us from many thousand others which perish everlastingly and to make us heires of endlesse happinesse as we are verily perswaded in the world to come For preventing and following us with thy saving graces O LORD we pray thee to open our eyes daily more and more to see and acknowledge these thy great and undeserved mercies upon us and to enlarge our hearts sincerely and feelingly to magnifie thy great Name for the same And as wee humbly intreate thee upon the knees of our soules for pardon and remission of all other sinnes so especially for our monstrous and harefull ingratitude for thy great and many mercies towards us most wicked and sinfull creatures We are ashamed and confounded that so much favour and mercy and long forbearance should bee extended to such rebellious and carnall wretches as we are For besides that naturall pollution we drew from the loines of our sinnefull parents wee have heapt up a great measure of actuall sinnes since we had the use and exercise of reason and power and ability to sinne O LORD our GOD wee humbly beseech thee to give us a full sight of them all and a true sence of thy great wrath indignation against them Let us have remorse and compunction in our hearts and consciences for them all in our affections a perfect hate and detestation of the least corruptions and infirmities And bee thou pleas'd gracious Father thorowly to purge and wash our soules with the precious blood of thy deare Sonne deliver us quite wee beseech thee from the guilt horrour and damnation due unto them And grant that hereafter wee may walke conscionably and carefully in all our waies that we suffer no more our poore soules to bee stained with these foule pollutions we have formerly delighted in Wee confesse and acknowledge to our shame and confusion that wee have many times vowed betwixt thee and our owne soules that wee would watch more carefully over our owne hearts least they should breed and nourish profane idle and wandering thoughts and imaginations over ourtalke least wee should offend with our tongue that wee would be more zealous and faithfull in the duties of our calling in sanctifying thy Sabbaths receiving thy Sacraments hearing thy Word in Christian conference company meditation and all other holy duties but alas all these good purposes have beene but as the morning dew we have even in short time broken our vowes growne cold againe dull and formall to the much greefe of thy good Spirit and discomfort of our owne soules Now LORD wee pray thee deale mercifully with us in this point forgive our many frailties and infirmities herein and at length thorowly sanctifie us draw our affections from the false glory and sinfull pleasures of this vaine world and fasten them there where true sound and lasting comfort is to be enjoyed Give us wise and understanding hearts that we may see and perceive those things that belong to thy glory and the salvation of our own soules and sanctified wills and holy affections to follow and pursue them with all earnestnesse zeale and fervency of spirit Let us even this day get some ground against Satan and forwardnesse in the course of Sanctification Let us store our selves with some new godly purposes and holy resolutions to doe thy will and keepe thy righteous commandements Fill our hearts daily more and more with all saving graces and the virtues of CHRIST JESVS Cause us perpetually to keepe in minde and consider that we are but as pilgrims and strangers here in this world that wee must shortly depart hence and never returne againe but presently come to judgement and receive an everlasting reward according to our workes Weaken wee beseech thee daily more and more the power of sinne in us let us feele it decay and loose its hold and haunt in us and strengthen in us the power of grace the new man and all spirituall comforts Neither pray wee for our selves onely but for all thy deare children fellow heires with us of everlasting happinesse in what part of the world soever they be LORD we pray thee to be continually present with them with all thy comforts and mercies let thy good Spirit leade them into all truth let the wings of thy providence and protection stretch over them all And such as yet lie in profanesse and under the shadow of death hasten their conversion reveale unto them the glorious comforts of grace and let the powers of darknesse hold them no longer LORD be mercifull unto this sinnefull Kingdome wherein we live and enter not into judgement with the horrible rebellions and fearefull abominations thereof Stay the rage of prophanesse that fearefully overflowes in all places to thy great dishonour and griefe of thy children Stop the crying sinnes of the time and recover thine
hee shall prepare his firiest darts to wound our soules to death O then let the light of thy heavenly countenance shine upon us O then let thy blessed Spirit comfort us with his sweetest comforts let the fresh bleeding wounds of our deare Saviour appeare gracious and effectuall to our distressed soules Blesse good LORD protect and defend thy Church wandring farre and wide over the face of the whole earth Let thy mighty hand and stretched out arme encompasse it let thy Omnipotency bee a brazen wall about it leade it we beseech thee into all truth concord and sincerity save it from all schismes errors and heresies mightily fence it from bloody Tyrants hellish Atheists and mercilesse Polititians Comfort we beseech thee all those that bee comfortlesse and distressed with sorrow need sicknesse imprisonment banishment slanderous tongues or any other crosse or calamity Especially good LORD speake comfortably unto them in whose soules are the arrowes of thine indignation and the venome thereof drinkes up their spirit those that groane under the burthen of a vexed conscience and those that suffer persecution for the testimony of thy truth LORD give them faith patience and constancy to abide their triall and a joyfull issue to all their temptations And as at this time we are bound wee humbly intreate thy tender mercies and loving kindnesse for all those in this Land that thou hast heavily visited with the Plague of Pestilence For CHRIST JESUS sake if it be thy blessed pleasure command thy Angell to cease from striking put up the sword of judgement which in great wrath and indignation thou hast drawne out against them And LORD in the meane time give them joy and comfort in thy holy Spirit that howsoever they be strangely and fearefully tormented in their body in this life yet they may be assured of eternall happinesse in the life to come And teach we beseech thee both them and us by thy holy Spirit to take a right view of all our sins the true causes of thy wrathfull displeasure and faithfully to repent for the same And so much the rather O LORD because the reprobate and such as thou forsakest cannot praise thee nor call upon thy Name but the broken heart the sorrowfull mind and a conscience hungring after righteousness shall ever set forth thy praise and glory Lastly most loving Father we beseech thee take us into thy defence and protection this night let thy carefull providence watch over us let thy blessed Angels pitch about us preserve us from all perills and dangers from all the assaults of Satan from vaine idle and wicked dreames Grant unto our bodies comfortable rest and quiet sleepe but let our soules continually watch for the comming of our Saviour in the clouds to end these last and worst daies Amen even so come LORD JESVS that we with thee and the rest of thy Elect may joyfully and triumphantly ascend unto the heavenly Jerusalem there to enjoy fullnesse of joy and pleasures at thy right hand for evermore Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer before a Sermon O LORD prepare our dull and unprepared hearts with feare and humility to enter the presence of thy great and glorious Majesty O Most gracious God our loving and mercifull Father in CHRIST JESVS We thy poore and sinfull servants most humbly beseech thee at this time to blesse and sanctifie unto us the hearing of thy holy Word it is the glorious instrument which thou hast appointed for the conversion and salvation of the soules of men But unto us miserable wretches and full of pollution it hath beene many times through the barrennesse of our hearts the secret and deceitfull corruptions of our nature but even the breath of thy Ministers scattered in the ayre and as water spilt upon the ground Whereas it might be unto some being humbly and reverently received as a two edged sword that would enter through even unto the dividing asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the joynts and the marrow that would breake in peeces their hard hearts and strike their conscience with terrour and remorse for their sinnes a necessary step to regeneration And whereas it might be unto others a pretious restorative to repaire the ruines of their conscience and to put life into their dead zeale and affections graciously to enforme them in all the parts of their callings it is but even as a witnesse of our coldnesse sencelessenesse and unthankefullnesse registred in the booke of our conscience against the day of our visitation LORD wee beseech thee out of thy tender compassions to forgive us all our former untowardnesse irreverence and unprofitablenesse in these holy exercises And now at length before wee goe downe into our graves into black and cruell habitations from whence wee must never returne to praise thee upon earth let us feele thy divine power working in us effectually at the preaching of thy Word let us have a sence of thy Omnipotency in in conquering our corruptions and temptations let thy powerfull Spirit stirre up our hearts and quicken our affections to embrace the power of religion and true godlinesse that so being freed from sinne by the blood of CHRIST and forsaking all our knowne sinnes and labouring sincerely to please thee in all things wee may have our fruit in holinesse and the end everlasting happinesse A Prayer before Sermon MOst mercifull Father we humbly beseech thee to give every one of us grace to let these things sink deeply into our hearts Blesse we beseech thee our wills and affections with sanctified desires to entertaine them our memories with faithfullnesse to retaine them our mindes with serious meditations to digest them our hearts with fervency and prayer for thy blessings upon them our lives with practise and piety to profit by them LORD we see clearely that all our pleasures shall die and perish that our honours shall be laid in the dust that our gold and silver shall canker and the rust of of them shall be a witnesse against us at the last day that outward performances of religious duties without inward sanctification shall have their portion with Hypocrites in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstrone Where then shall appeare the lyar the swearer the drunkard the profaner of the Sabbath the uncleane person the proud the idle the malicious the carelesse in his calling even without timely and sound repentance in the bottomelesse pit of the lowest hell O then we beseech thee gracious Father to vouchsafe us in time wise and understanding hearts the spirit of judgement to discerne betweene the short span of this miserable life and the length and breadth of eternity Let us now at length make a through and deepe search into the state of our soules and consciences and if wee find that we be not yet possest of that inward sincerity and true happinesse let us for ever hereafter with greatest fervency earnestnesse and contention of spirit hunger and thirst labour and
strive after saving grace the power of religion and true godlinesse that so for a few and evill daies we stand wisely and resolutely for thy honour and truth and with comfort and courage running the race of sanctification may bee provided and furnished with assurance of glory clearenesse of conscience strength of faith against the day of our visitation that when we shall lie downe upon our deaths-bed and wee know not how soone we may be able to meete with the fearefull temptations of our sinnefull flesh the fiery darts of Satan to encounter with the pangs of death and terrours of the grave and so passe with joyfullnesse and triumph to those glorious mansions of light and blessed immortality with thee in the highest heavens Lastly Gracious Father for this present holy businesse we have now in hand we humbly beseech thee to let thy blessings bee mightily upon thy Word at this time that it may pierce and enter through to the dividing asunder of the soule and the spirit of the joynts and the marrow and to discover the very thoughts and intents of the heart Keepe we pray thee out of our hearts and heads all troubles cares wandrings humours passions prejudice distractions deadnesse or whatsoever other cursed let shall be suggested by the divell or our owne wicked hearts So sanctifie unto our soules this holy ordinance of thine that we may handle and heare it with all feeling power and reverence as the Word of thee the true and everliving GOD and as that by which we must be judged at that last dreadfull day Make it to be a Word of conversion and enlargement to all them that are yet in the snares of the divell waies of death but of strengthening encouragement and comfort to those that are already thine that so by thy mercifull blessing it may prove unto every one of us the savour of life unto life and thy mighty power unto us for salvation and that for the LORD CHRIST JESVS his sake In whose glorious Name and mediation we beg these and all other needfull blessings concluding in his owne prayer Our Father c. O LORD heare us in these our weake requests and grant them unto us and all other things necessary for us for our bodies our soules our callings or this present action and for every member of thy Church wee beg them all in the name and mediation of CHRIST JESVS thy Sonne and our onely SAVIOVR to whom with thee and the holy Spirit be all praise and power and might and dominion and thankesgiving ascribed at this time and evermore hereafter Amen BLessed are all they that heare the Word of GOD beleeve it and doe it The grace of our LORD JESVS CHRIST and the love of GOD the Father in him and the most comfortable fellowship helpe and communion of GOD the HOLY GHOST be with us all blesse us preserve us and keepe us and every member of his Church in faith a good quiet and peaceable conscience the rest of this day and evermore hereafter Grace before meate LORD GOD who hast created all things for the use and comfort of man and man for thy owne glory Make we beseech thee these thy creatures wholesome for our bodies and us thankfull for them for CHRIST JESVS his sake A Prayer before Sermon MOst holy and righteous LORD GOD we humbly and heartily thanke thee for our preservation this night past pardon wee beseech thee unto us the sinnes thereof And now prepare and sanctifie us for a right and comfortable serving of thee in this morning sacrifice and holy duties we take in hand Illighten our mindes and inlarge our hearts by thine owne good Spirit that wee may rightly conceive of the great mystery of grace and true meaning of thy holy Word that we treasure it up in our memories with an holy greedinesse and after walke by the strength thereof with all fruitfullnesse and power in all thy waies all the daies of our life and that for thy CHRIST his sake A Prayer after Sermon O LORD our GOD thou clearely seest and beholdest from Heaven what hearts we now bring into thy glorious presence from the businesse of this day how full of earthlinesse deadnesse listlesnesse and unfitnesse to speake unto thee Wee pray thee for CHRIST his sake to possesse quicken and sanctifie them by thy blessed Spirit that they may bee ever feeling and fruitfull in these holy exercises Make us every day more and more wise with all thy Saints and elect children unto our eternall salvation in the right understanding beleeving and obeying of thy blessed Word and great mystery of godlinesse in JESVS CHRIST our LORD An Evening Prayer most usefull in time of warre or invasion O LORD our GOD high and mighty great and fearefull which dwellest in the highest Heavens and light that no man can attaine unto which by thy great power hast created Heaven and Earth and all things therein contained and by thy wise providence directest every thing unto an excellent end If thou shouldest deale with us in justice wee deserve to bee plagued with all the horrible and fearefull plagues of Egypt in this world and hereafter to be perpetually damned both in body and soule in the lake of hell fier where there is nothing but endlesse woe weeping and gnashiâ—g of teeth If there bee any sinne we have not committed it was because we wanted meanes opportunity enticement temptation or something not for want of a sinfull disposition in us If thou shouldest deale with us as we have dealt with thee wee should bee presently damned eternally If thou shouldest be as carelesse of us as we have beene of thee and the salvation of our soules we should never see thy face in Heaven O LORD fright our heart with a true sight and sence of all our sins O LORD perswade our hearts that since thou didst not curse and damne us when we lay wallowing in horrible sinnes thou wilt not now cast us away when wee are converted c. Thou wilt rather pitty us for our infirmities then condemne us for them Perswade our soules by that good experience we have had of thy goodnesse that thou wilt be our GOD for ever Let us not so much feare and abhorre the punishment and guilt of sin but also the power and tyranny whereby we are enforced to offend so loving and so gracious a Father Give us soundnesse of knowledge purity of heart holinesse of life contempt of the world conquest over our sinnes the comforts of thy blessed Spirit a joyfull expectation of our deliverance from sin and sorrow The spirit of meeknesse and wisedome the spirit of courage and constancy the spirit of love and joy and of a sound mind Let us be just in our dealings conscionable in our callings mercifull courteous Let us so comprehend the glorious state to come that we may bee willing to bee dissolved and to bee with CHRIST LORD grant that in the middest of a darke world we may see the
any time since hee had his being he hath either thought or said or done amisse doe it away deare LORD as though it had never beene and drowne it for ever in the bottomelesse sea of thine owne mercy Thou hast promised by thy Prophet Isa. 44. 22. that thou wilt put away the transgressions of thy people like a cloud and their sins as a mist. Now we pray thee let the inflamed heate of thy everlasting love shed thorow the bloody wounds of thy Son and shining through the Sonne of righteousnesse upon his soule disperse and dissolve into nothing all his iniquities transgressions and sins Thou hast promised by thy Prophet Micah 7. 19. That thou wilt cast them all into the bottome of the Sea Now blessed LORD GOD we pray thee as that mighty host of Pharaoh sunke into the red Sea like a stone so that neither Sonne of man nor Sun of Heaven ever saw their faces any more so let all his sins bee swallowed up for ever in the red sea of CHRIST JESVS his blood that they never show their faces againe to his shame discomfort or confusion Thou hast told us with thine owne mouth that thou inhabitest eternity and dwells in the high and holy place and yet with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to give life to them that are of a contrite heart we humbly intreate thee for CHRIST JESUS his sake that thou wouldest make good this promise to this thy servant to the utmost sweetnesse and comfort thereof O blessed LORD GOD let thy glorious presence shine into his heart with all those sweet refreshings with which thou art wont to fill those happy soules which depart in thy favour and at peace with thee Let the pretious deservings and saving blood-shed of CHRIST JESVS appeare fresh unto the eye of his faith And let the blessed Angell ministring Spirits to thy chosen at thy appointed time carry his soule with peace and comfort into the bosome of thy glory O LORD he is now going the way of all flesh and his habitation is remooving from him like a Shepheards tent Helpe now LORD in this time of need Comfort him wee beseech thee with all the strength of Heaven Thou hast within the rich treasury of thy mercy thine own tender hearted bowells of compassions the unvaluable blood shed of thy deare Sonne the unutterable comforts of thy good Spirit the pretious promises of life and all the joyes of Heaven and he hath a poore soule that hungers and thirsts and longs for thy mercy and favour before all the world O LORD our GOD wee humbly pray thee crown that soule of his with them all Let thine own omnipotent hand encompasse him let the strong arme of the Sonne of GOD mightily protect him from all infernall power let the Spirit of all comfort raise in his heart those heavenly raptures and sweet exultations of spirit which are wont to fill the soules of them which are ready to lay hold upon a crowne of life let thy blessed Angels at thine owne time carry his soule into the bosome of Abraham there to raigne with thee in rest and joy thorow all eternity A Prayer in time of Plague O LORD our GOD remember us wee pray thee in mercy concerning that heavie and sore judgement of the Plague of Pestilence that fearefully walketh in darknesse and wasteth at noone day which thy just wrath hath kindled in the chiefe City of this Kingdome Wee pray thee good Father to blesse us with care and wisedome to meete thee now at first with truly remorsefull and repentant hearts both for our own personall sinnes and the crying abhominations of the times Let us seeke thee with fervency and truth in daies of humiliation and fasting and cry mightily unto thee that so turning al unto thee with unfained repentance and sincere resolution to amend thou maist in mercy heale our Kingdome and turne thine indignation away from us A Prayer in time of Plague MOst gratious GOD sith by thy good providence we are met together at this time solemely to humble our selves and afflict our soules in thy glorious presence and before thy pure eye we humbly beseech thee to give unto every one of us spirituall ability and the saving assistance of thy Holy Spirit that we may all doe it unfainedly fruitfully effectually in the name of JESVS CHRIST O Most mighty and blessed LORD GOD our ever loving Father in JESVS CHRIST We poore wretches thy unworthiest servants do heere humbly prostrate our selves our soules and bodies before thy Throne of grace acknowledging from our hearts that we are the vilest of all Thy Creatures by reason of our manifold and hainous sins we are defiled and polluted in every power and part both of body and soule to the very heart roote and from the beginning of our being we laid at first a bloudy foundation with Adam in Paradise which utterly undid all mankinde and had our hands in that horrible rebellion which brought all mischiefs and miseries all sinne and sorrow upon all the sonnes and daughters of Adam from the Creation to the end of the world yea and all those Hellish woes and tortures which shall lie upon damned soules everlastingly O LORD strike our hearts with remorse for This sin of which we take so little notice that we may bee humbled for it all the daies of our life Wee came into this world very sinkes of all impurity concupiscence and filth we brought with us understandings starke blinde in all heavenly things wills stubborne froward rebellious to every good word and worke Memory sinfull and defiled hard and stony hearts raging and bedlam passions earthly and sensuall thoughts and imaginations dead and guilty consciences eyes full of Adultery wantonnesse and wandrings eare open to all rotten and ribald talke tongues set on fire by hell hands full of iniquity feete ready to carry us to all manner of villany and vanity even bodies and soules ingrafted into the cursed communion of the Divell and wicked spirits by reason of that originall corruption and crookednesse which we drew from the loines of our sinfull Parents And this hereditary masse of naturall filth lurkt in our natures like venome and poison which made us odious and abominable in thy sight before wee were able to sin when wee had power to serve the Divell it broke out upon us into as many fearefull transgressions and abominable lusts as could possibly proceed from so empoysoned a fountaine And since that time good Lord thou knowest we have borne our selves like Traytors and rebells against thy holy Majesty we have actually transgrest all thy blessed Lawes and Commandements every manner of way in thought word and deed fearefully wounding our consciences greeving thy good spirit and treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath O Lord wee have grievously sinned against Thee by contempt of thy Word The crying sinne of this place by Atheisme ignorance profanenesse
turne thine indignation away from us It is a heavy judgement and horrible sicknesse which devoures now and eates up thy people in our chiefe City And is fearefully scattered in many places abroad It is called thine hand thy sword the stroake of thine Angell the snare of the Fowler the noysome Pestilence the terrour by night the arrow that flieth by day the destruction that wasteth by noone-day and walketh in the darknesse O Lord our God let us be humbled proportionably to the extraordinary terror of thy heavie hand Thou Lord art acquainted with the anguish of all hearts with the griefes and groanes the necessities and wants of all distressed ones And all those poore soules that are still afflicted under thy mighty hand with the grievous Pestilence in any part of this Kingdome lie in a most rufull comfortlesse and desolate state ordinarily they are destitute of all outward comforts they want the Physitions both of soule and body the presence and comforts of their friends neighbours and all those who are dearest unto them They are vexed with the rage of a horrible disease assaulted with the fearefull sight of all their sinnes the pangs of death and terrour of thy dreadfull Tribunall we humbly beseech thee most mercifull Lord to ease comfort succour and relieve them all farre above that which we can either thinke or speake in their behalfe Especially Holy Father we pray thee blesse every one of them with a right and holy use of this thine heavy hand upon them give them saving sorrow and true repentance the blood of thy Sonne pardon of all their sins perswasion of thy love peace of conscience patience to endure their great extremities and a full recompence of all their outward desolations with the sweete and inward consolations of thy blessed Spirit And so sanctifie good LORD this sore judgement to the whole Kingdome that we may all come from under thy visiting hand as gold out of the furnace refined from the drosse of our corruptions and filth of sin and so fitted and sanctified for the more sincere and glorious service of thy great Majesty unto our dying day O LORD our GOD thou beholdest now from Heaven what hearts we bring now into thy glorious presence how full of deadnesse earthly-mindednesse listlesnesse and unfitnesse to performe any holy duty with heavenly minds and spirituall affections we pray thee to stirre them up and quicken them by thy Holy Spirit that they may bee ever feeling and fruitfull in the use of all the Ordinances give every one of us spirituall ability and helpe from Heaven to goe through it with life and power effectually and pleasingly to thy great Majesty in the name of CHRIST An other Prayer for confession of sinne O Eternall GOD great and fearefull strong and mighty yet mercifull and gratious long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousand forgiving iniquity transgression and sin we poore wretches vilest creatures doe heere humbly cast downe our selves at the foot of thy great and glorious Majesty acknowledging from our hearts that we are most unworthy to come into thy presence or to call upon thy dreadfull and Holy Name For thou art a GOD of infinite Majesty and glory and dwellest in light that no man can attaine unto and we are vile wormes dust and ashes dwelling in houses of flesh and Tabernacles of clay wherein we can doe nothing but sin Thou art a consuming fire and we are even as stubble before thee ready to bee devoured by thy fierce wrath if thou shouldest deale with us as we have deserved Thou art a GOD of pure eyes and canst not behold iniquity and we are encompassed and laden with all manner of pollutions and sinfullnesse Beside that bloudy rebellion with Adam in Paradise and cursed Leprosy of Originall sin which hath universally corrupted all the faculties and powers of body and soule filling them with all Hellish poyson confusion and pronenesse to ill The whole world hath beene worse for us since wee came into it There is nothing in Heaven or in Earth but so farre as in us lay we have polluted wronged dishonoured and abused it one way or other 1. We have villanously stroke at the Apple of thy pure eye Holy Father many and many a time with filthy thoughts abominable lusts and fearefull provocations we have pressed thy mercies even as a cart is pressed which is full of sheaves we have shamefully abused the riches of thy goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering leading us to repentance 2. We have dishonoured thy deare Sonne by despising him in his Ministery neglecting his many gratious invitations persecuting him in his members and shedding his bloud in the Sacrament 3. We have grieved thy good Spirit by putting backe his holy motions or smoothering them by worldlinesse lusts and earthly delights 4. We have vexed thy blessed Angels so much as in us lies besides many other waies even in this house of thine with unreverence drowsinesse sleepinesse and the like where they are beholding with delight the misteries revealed in the Gospell 5. We have wofully abused all thy creatures they should have ministred to us continuall matter of heavenly meditation upon thy greatnesse and goodnesse power and providence c. but our earthly minds have made no such holy use of them but wee have covetously and sensually abused them to our owne ends and carnall contentments 6. Even this Kingdome gratious Father wherein we have beene borne and bread and enjoyed many good things hath beene much worse for us For we have had our hands LORD thou knowest in pulling downe upon us this horrible sicknesse of the plague of Pestilence and other judgements both temporall and spirituall and without true and timely repentance are likely enough to hasten the destroying sword and besome of destruction to make an end of us 7. We have abused all thy fatherly corrections and chastisements laid upon us in love and for our good they should have brought forth in us the peaceable and glorious fruits of Righteousnesse but they have rather begot murmuring impatiency and discontentment 8. We have abused thy mercies which have beene heaped abundantly upon us above measure and without number even to increase our security and presumption and forgetfullnesse of the evill day 9. We have abused the most gracious and glorious day of visitation that ever any people enjoyed upon earth passing over it very unprofitably like sons and daughters of confusion not gathering any such stock and store of grace against our ending houre as we might plentifully have done 10. We have abused all thy blessed Ordinances those heavenly conduits of all spirituall blessings grace and comfort By our unpreparednesse before irreverence in the use of them fruitlesnesse and want of practise afterward 11. We have wretchedly abused our owne bodies and soules by abandoning them to the service of Satan and making all our members instruments of unrighteousnesse to sin Fearefully were they infected with Originall sin at first but we
Certaine Devout PRAYERS OF Mr. BOLTON upon solemne occasions Published by E.B. by M. Boltons owne Coppy LONDON Printed by George Miller dwelling in Black-Fryers 1638. To the Reader AMong Treatises fit to be published and read Treatises of Devotion are most fit as being freest from offence and fullest of divine matter If comparison may bee made betwixt parts of sacred Scripture the Psalmes of David have an excellency in that they consist of matters of Devotion Answerable to the stile of his name is the stile of his book The stile of his name was A man after GODS owne heart For such was his piety and sincerity as GOD was well pleased therewith and tooke much delight therein The rather because his devotion towards GOD incited him to doe what GOD required to be done So the Booke of Psalmes may well carry this stile A booke after Gods owne heart in that nothing is more acceptable unto GOD nothing wherein hee takes more delight then Devotion And no booke of sacred Scripture fuller of Devotion then that booke Most of the Psalmes wholy consist of Prayers or Praises very few if any at all wherein there are not some divine raptures and such heavenly ejaculations as manifest an heart full of Devotion For Devotion is a pious and humble affection to God-wards Humble through conscience of a mans owne infirmity Pious through a due consideration of the divine clemency Such Devotion is never more fully and to the life manifested then in Prayers and Praises For in these divine duties if rightly performed the soule presents it selfe before GOD and that in a speciall manner being after a sort even rapt out of the body Then if ever doth the soule so farre as it is capable with an holy admiration apprehend the divine Majesty Purity Justice Wisdome Power yea Mercy Goodnesse and other excellencies wherwith GOD is decked Then if ever is the soule brought throughly to discerne its owne infirmity impurity basenesse vilenesse and cursednesse For contraries paralleld or laid together doe most lively set forth each other in their owne proper colours He that liveth in a darke dungeon will be enamoured with the bright shining of the Sun when hee can have liberty to see it And hee that hath long lived under bright Sun-shine more thorowly discernes the horrour and dammage of darknesse Now GOD and man are in many respects directly opposite each to other This opposition is best discerned in our most serious contemplations of Gods excellencies and due consideration of our owne manifold infirmities which is most to purpose done in acts and exercises of Devotion In this respect this present Treatise is worthy of all acceptation even for the subject matter whereof it consisteth which is divine Devotition Herein you shall observe GOD most highly advanced and man most lowly dejected GOD advanced above the highest Heavens Man dejected below the lowest parts of the earth GOD magnified in his mercies and justified in his judgements Man judged and condemned according to his just deserts If the Author of a Worke add any thing to the worth of a Worke the Author of this Worke must needs add much to the worth of it For he was a man of a profound judgement and a zealous spirit which endowments are most fit for matters of Devotion Devotion must have fire in it in which respect a zealous spirit is very requisite Devotion hath an especiall reference to GOD in which respect solid judgement is also requisite As all the true genuine Workes of this Author give evidence of his more then ordinary spirit so this Modell especially By it you may perceive what kinde of fire fired the sacrifices which hee offered up to GOD. Wee reade in the Law Levit. 9. 24. that there came a fire out from the LORD and consumed upon the Altar the burnt offering That fire which once came from the LORD being continually preserved all things which required fier in the Tabernacle were to bee fired therewith as all manner of sacrifice and incense Such a fire a celestiall a divine fire which must needs come from the LORD set on fire the spirituall sacrifices and sacred incense which this Priest of the LORD the Author of this Treatise offered up to his GOD. We ought therefore to give the more earnest heed heereunto and to helpe our owne devotion and to quicken and enflame our own spirits thereby Without all question the Modells of some eminent persons Devotion may be a singular helpe to others Devotion Every one that hath this divine fier of Devotion in his soule cannot alwaies readily bring fit fuell to make it flame forth But when fuell is brought by others it will soone take and quickly flame out Neither is this as some too weakly though very violently cavill to stint the spirit of supplication For the worke of the Spirit consists not so much in the words and phrases whereby the matter of Devotion is expressed as in the intention of the heart and in the intirenesse and earnestnesse of the affection wherin the very forme soule and life of true Devotion consisteth Otherwise the spirit of all GODS people in all publicke Liturgies and formes of prayer would be stinted yea by this reason the spirit of every one that joyneth with another in prayer except his spirit onely who conceiveth and uttereth the prayer would be stinted And if so then away with publick assemblies for prayer away with family meetings to call upon GOD away with all meetings of two or three together in CHRISTS name notwithstanding CHRISTS promise of being in the midst of them Mat. 18. 20. But rather away with such proud and preposterous conceits which cleane crosse the tenour of sacred Scripture and commendable custome of GODS Church in all ages Sacred Scripture records sundry prayers conceived and uttered by one but assented to by sundry others wherby they became also the prayers of those others The 102. Psalme beares this title A Prayer for the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and powreth out his complaint before the LORD This title apparently sheweth that the Prophet who first penned this Psalme did it in the persons and for the use of any poore distressed servant of GOD. So as we thereby are taught what to pray when our sins lie heavy upon us or when we are in any other distresse It is expressely said that Iohn taught his Disciples to pray Luke 11. 1. This questionlesse was done by prescribing unto them a forme of prayer Whereupon when a Disciple of CHRIST said unto him LORD teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples he said unto them when ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. As Iohn had prescribed a forme to his Disciples so CHRIST doth to his and so teacheth them to pray as Iohn did his Sundry formes of prayers were by the Ancient Fathers composed for the Churches in their daies In like manner have all
direct we beseech thee and sanctifie all our courses that for a few and evill daies in this vale of teares wee may so store our selves with spirituall comfort with a sound heart with a strong faith and a good conscience that we may stand firme and sure at the day of our visitation and when upon our deaths bed we shall bee set upon by the weakenesse of our owne flesh the terrors of death the fearefullnes of the grave and the firiest darts of Satan we may comfortably passe thorow them all in the name and power of thy Son and be receiv'd with joyfulnes triumph into those sacred mansions which he hath already made ready in Heaven for all those that truly love and feare thee In his blessed name we powre out our soules in thankfullnesse for all those many blessings and comforts which thou hast vouchsafed us both upon our soules and bodies both for this life and a better For our health wealth and liberty our peace plenty and prosperity our food apparell and preservation from our infancy to this very hower and for all the good meanes of all these For the free passage of thy glorious Gospell now so many yeares amongst us But amongst all other temporall blessings of our times let us never forget nor we nor all our posterity for ever how it pleased thee in our daies miraculously to magnifie the glory of thy mercy in our wonderfull deliverance from the most secret bloody and fiery plot of the Gun-powder Treason that great astonishment of men and Angels All these outward comforts both publicke and particular are excellent and pretious yet they are such as wee have common with the reprobates and those that shall never see thy face with comfort but after a short time spent in the miserable pleasures of this vaine world shall bee turn'd to hell and everlasting fire Wee therefore more especially magnifie thy great name for the more speciall pledges and tokens of thy infinite love for that it hath pleased thee to confirme and seale unto us by our effectuall calling and the earnest of thy good Spirit our Election to eternall life from all eternity our particular Redemption from the powers of hell by the death of thy Sonne and an undoubted assurance of the joyes of Heaven in the world to come Increase in us good LORD wee beseech thee daily more and more this blessed assurance which we infinitely esteeme more deare then tenne thousand worlds by making us to grow in repentance and faith and spirituall wisedome and framing us to the obedience of thy Sonne in all knowledge love and obedience Furthermore gracious Father wee humbly intreate thee with the bowels of thy tenderest compassions to be mercifull unto thy whole Church and every member thereof Fence it mightily wee pray thee with the Spirit of truth knowledge and zeale and constancy that in these worst and last daies it may make a strong resistance against the great maine floods of Popery Schisme profanesse and Atheisme Be gracious unto this sinnefull Kingdome and enter not into judgement with the horrible and crying sinnes and the many fearefull provocations thereof In the same looke downe with the speciall eye of providence and protection upon our dread Soveraigne JAMES by thy grace King of great Brittaine France and Ireland Defender of the truly Catholike faith and in all causes and over all persons next and immediatly under thy Sonne CHRIST JESVS in all his Dominions supreme Governour O LORD as thou hast enlarg'd his royall heart even as the sand which is on the sea-shore for understanding learning and wisedome so wee beseech thee to continue unto him a proportionable measure of holinesse zeale and sanctification for the execution of that great place wherin thou hast set him and the enlargement of thy Kingdome here on earth Settle his crowne fast upon his head that he may long and religiously raigne over us in despight of all his enemies both at home and abroad Vouchsafe all the graces of thy good Spirit unto his gracious Queene Plant the true feare of thy great Name in the Princely heart of his Sonne and let thy watchfull providence and thy loving mercies for ever rest upon all that royall family Inspire his Honourable Privie Counsell his Nobility Gentry and Magistracy with spirituall wisedome and heavenly understanding Leade them all into thy Sanctuary and teach them out of thy holy Word first and chiefly those things which concerne thy honour and glory the good of the people which depend upon them and lastly the comfort of their own soules at the dreadfull day of judgement when they shall give an account of their stewardships Enrich we pray thee with thy best graces all the Reverend Bishops and Ministers of this Land Endew them plentifully with knowledge zeale sincerity and discretion that by their faithfullnesse and conscionable discharge of their duties the many multitudes in this Land that lie in darknesse ignorance profanesse Popery and Schisme may be brought to the knowledge of thy truth into a holy obedience to thy heavenly Gospell to their owne everlasting salvation Blesse and be mercifull to both our Universities Oxford and Cambridge Comfort all thy distressed children wheresoever or howsoever afflicted whither with Pestilence Warre Famine banishment sicknesse poverty imprisonment disquietnesse of minde vexation of conscience want of spirituall comfort or what other crosse or calamity soever it pleaseth thee to exercise them with Give them in the meane time a sure faith in thy promises and inward comfort in thy blessed Spirit and in thy good time a happy deliverance whither by life or death as it shall be best for thy glory and the good of their owne soules Lastly gracious Father for this sacred businesse wee have now in hand wee humbly beseech thee to blesse and sanctifie unto us at this time the preaching and hearing of thy holy Word it is the ordinance of thy owne infinite wisedome it is the glorious instrument which thou hast appointed for the conversion and salvation of the soules of men But unto us miserable wretches it hath beene many times thorow the barrennesse of our hearts the secret and deceitfull corruptions of our nature much sleepinesse and drowsinesse but as water spilt on the ground and even the breath of thy Ministers scattered in the aire Forgive us deare Father all our former untowardnesse irreverence and unprofitablenes in these holy exercises and now at length before we goe downe into our graves into black and cruell habitations from whence we must never returne to praise thee upon earth let us feele thy divine finger working in us effectually at the preaching of thy Word Let us have the sence of thine Omnipotency in conquering our corruptions and temptations that we being thorowly sanctified both in our soules and bodies forsaking all our knowne sinnes and labouring with sincerity to please thee in all things may have our fruit in holinesse and the end everlasting life Heare us c. A Morning
sinnes both before and since our calling in the grave of CHRIST JESVS and hide them in his righteousnesse for evermore There is no helpe or comfort to be had either in Heaven or in Earth in Angels Saints or mortall men to our wounded consciences but onely in the spotlesse justice of thy deare Son Give assurance therefore we beseech thee to every one of our soules that his pretious bloud was shed for our sinnes in particular that wee may sensibly feele the forgivenesse of our sins and rejoyce in the hope of eternall life In His blessed name we give thee all possible thankes for those many mercies and comforts which thou hast plentifully bestowed upon us most unworthy wretches We thanke thee deare Father for our health wealth and liberty for our peace plenty and prosperity for our food and apparell for our preservation from our cradle to this howre and all the good meanes of these but more especially for the more speciall tokens of thy great love for these we have common with the reprobates and those which shall never see thy face with comfort but after a short time spent in the miserable pleasures of this vaine world shall be turn'd to hell and everlasting fire We thanke thee for chusing us before all worlds to be heires of Heaven and Citizens with thy Saints We thanke thee for confirming unto us our Election by our effectuall calling O happy be that blessed time when thy good Spirit put the first motions into our hearts to become thy children This is the blessing wee infinitely esteeme before al worldly comforts and wherein is the preciousnesse of all true joy and contentment O most loving and gracious Father we beseech thee goe forward with the worke of this our New-birth that thou hast begun in us and never take away thy hand unto the day of JESVS CHRIST Thou hast promised that whom thou hast loved once thou wilt love for ever and thou art without all shadow of change and sooner shall the mountaines bee cast into the Sea before one jot of thy gracious promise fall unto the ground or one title of thy Word be unaccomplisht Take from us therefore wee beseech thee all privy pride and hypocrisie all vanity and vaine-glory all dullnesse backwardnesse and security in thy service which hang so fast on which cleave so close unto our soules and fearefully hinder us in the course of godlinesse but above all things let us never fall backe againe into the grosse and horrible sinnes of our unregeneration Reveale unto us we beseech thee all our sinnes give us tender consciences and a continuall increase in spirituall wisedome and heavenly understanding untill we come unto that happy strength by which the world is crucified unto us and wee unto the world and bee able to say out of the powerfull feeling of thy goodnesse upon our soules with thy blessed servant David GOD is our hope and strength and helpe in troubles ready to bee found Therefore will we not feare though the earth bee mooved and though the mountaines fall into the midst of the Sea Though the waters thereof rage and be troubled and the mountaines shake at the same GOOD LORD bee mercifull with the bowells of thy Fatherly compassions unto thy Church and every member thereof Be gratious unto this sinnefull Kingdome and enter not into judgement with the horrible sins thereof And in the same looke downe we beseech thee with the speciall eye of providence and protection upon the excellent instrument of thy glory our most gracious Soveraigne Give him the spirit of zeale wisedome and governement that he may long and religiously raigne over us in despight of all his enemies both at home and abroad Blesse all his Counsellors both our Universities Oxford and Cambridge the Nobility of this Land the Gentry all inferiour Magistrates all Judges and Justices of Peace those that are imployd in fighting thy battells either by Land or Sea Give to every one a spirit to his calling Leade them all into thy Sanctuary and teach them out of thy holy Word first and chiefly those things which concerne thy honour and glory the good of the people that depend upon them and lastly the salvation and comfort of their owne soules at the dreadfull day of judgement when they shall give an account of their stewardships Enrich wee beseech thee with many graces of zeale faithfullnesse and sincerity the Ministers and Preachers of thy holy Word blesse their labours that some good may come of them increase their number place over every Congregation a faithfull and religious Watchman that may go in and out before thy people in soundnesse of doctrine and uprightnesse of conversation Touch the hearts of the many multitudes of this Land that at length they may turne unto thy truth and so be delivered out of the tyranny and power of Satan to the freedome of thy deare Son CHRIST JESVS our LORD Give successe good LORD and prosper all those which in their good purposes seeke the preferment of thy truth by good and lawfull meanes Blesse all them that thou hast joyned unto us with any bond of love kinred or acquaintance all those whose hearts thou hast stird up to doe us good any manner of waies and those also which wish and worke us evill if they belong unto thee Comfort O LORD with thy sweetest comforts all thy children which are vexed either in soule or body whether by Pestilence Famine Warre poverty imprisonment sicknesse or banishment trouble of conscience vexation of spirit disquietnesse of minde want of spirituall comfort or whatsoever kinde of affliction of body or mind thou dost try them with Give them in the meane time faith in thy promises and comfort in thy Spirit and in thy good time a happy deliverance whether by life or by death as it shall be best to thy honour and glory and good of their owne soules But especially as we are bound at this time we humbly intreate thy loving kindnesse and tender mercies for our poore afflicted brethren and sisters here about us in London Oxford and many other places of this Land O LORD stay thy revenging hand Though wee bee but wormes and dust yet thou art our Creator and we the worke of thy hands Thou art our Father and wee thy children Thou art our Shepheard and we thy sheep Thou art our Redeemer and wee the people whom thou hast bought Thou art our GOD and we thine inheritance Forget not therefore O LORD to be gracious and shut not up thy loving kindnesse in displeasure turne thee againe at the last and bee gracious unto thy servants And grant wee beseech thee that these great judgements may effect and worke that for which they were sent even true humiliation and undissembled repentance that we all turning unto thee in truth and sincerity thou maist turne unto us with thy mercies and everlasting compassions And whereas we whom of thy great goodnesse thou hast thus long time spared are as deepe
thy holy Names sake bury them all in the blessed and bloody wounds of our deare SAVIOVR that they never rise up at the dreadfull day of judgement to give testimony against our soules to our utter confusion Hide them all in the bottomelesse Ocean of thy endlesse mercy that they die out of thy remembrance everlastingly And send we beseech thee into every one of our soules that happy and heavenly assurance of the remission of our sinnes whence springeth joy and contentment most precious and unvaluable infinite more worth then ten thousand worlds LORD wee blesse praise and magnifie thy great and glorious name for all those great mercies benefits and comforts which out of thy immeasurable bounty thou hast plentifully bestowed upon us First and chiefly wee humbly thanke thee for that it hath pleased thee of thy meere favour and love to elect us before the foundation of the world to be heires of thy immortall Kingdome for creating us after thine owne image for redeeming us with the precious blood of thy deare Sonne for calling us into the glorious liberty of thy sons for justifying us for sanctifying us with thy holy Spirit for the joyfull hope of glorification in the world to come Confirme unto us we beseech thee these great and incomparable blessings with the sacred testimony of thy holy Spirit Let thy blessed Spirit tell our spirits that we are thy Elect. Let our sweet Saviour CHRIST JESVS say unto our soules I am your salvation Seale our salvation unto our soules with the pledge seale and earnest of thy holy Spirit Furthermore most gratious Father we humbly thanke thee for that extraordinary and universall blessing vouchsafed this Land by our gracious and religious King it is the greatest that ever the face of this earth enjoyed that ever thou bestowedst on thy dearest children For when wicked men and all the world as thou knowest expected that this Land should have beene clothed with fiery persecutions bloody warres and all manner of calamities as with a garment Thou that sittest in Heaven and laughest the vaine plots and devises and wicked men to scorne against all expectation hast covered it with peace joy plenty prosperity the free passage of thy Gospell as the seas are covered with water Put we pray thee into the heart of every one in this Land a true and continuall thankfullnes a godly and religious resolution to serve thee in holines and righteousnes all the daies of their life And LORD we beseech thee continue that good worke that thou hast begun and let him and his posterity in thy feare and true religion if it be thy blessed pleasure sit upon the throne of this Land so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth Let his Scepter long flourish in his hand and set his crowne fast upō his head O mightily preserve him from all the sonnes of violence and mischiefe Let all those that with forraine invasion attempt the destruction of his person and desolation of this Land become like Iabin and Sisera that perished at Endor like Zeba and Zalmunna that became as the dung of the earth Let all unnaturall practises and home-bred conspiracies perish as the untimely fruit of a woman and never see the Sun Inflame his royall heart with true zeale and love of thy blessed truth and as thou hast enlarged his kingdomes so give him a princely and religious courage to enlarge thy Kingdome and utterly to confound all Heresie Schisme and the kingdome of Antichrist Blesse all his privie Counsellors with wisedome from above that they may put these things into his heart which chiefly concerne thy honour and glory the good of thy Church the safety of his Person and quiet of this Land Blesse with severall graces all inferiour Magistrates that they may all faithfully and religiously discharge the severall places wherein they stand Blesse all his people with religion and loyalty the Ministery with learning zeale and sincerity O LORD go out with his Captaines and men of warre that fight thy battels We thanke thee also deare Father for blessings more particularly concerning us for delivering us from Popery Idolatry and Superstition and illightning our understanding with thy blessed truth Confirme it we beseech thee unto us daily more and more that if need require we may confirme it with our dearest bloods We thanke thee for giving us a taste of the powers of the world to come Crucifie we beseech thee unto us continually the lusts and corruptions of our sinnefull flesh that the graces and comforts of regeneration may daily receive in us strength and perfection We thanke thee for remooving from over our heads those heavie judgements and violls of thy wrath that our crying sins have continually called for from Heaven even all diseases and infirmities of body all terrours and vexations of conscience all civill deaths and torments all shame and confusion even that the earth should have opened his mouth and swallowed us quick the water drowned us the fier consumed us vengeance from Heaven overtaken us thy other creatures devoured us Grant we beseech thee that hereafter by sound and undissembled repentance and by agodly life wee may abandon them and the feare of them for evermore An Evening Prayer VVE thanke thee most mercifull Father for our health wealth food raiment preservation from our cradle to this hower for thy releeving us in all our needs and necessities for comforting us so fatherly in all our tribulations and distresses for sparing us so long a time of repentance and for infinite more blessings which neither our hearts can thinke nor tongues expresse Now one thing deare LORD will we beg at thy hands and that will we crave for evermore that thou wouldst give us grace and power by thy blessed Spirit to direct and dispose all these excellent blessings both eternall and temporall chiefly and principally to the honour of thy great Name to the salvation of our soules and the good of thy Church And to this end roote we beseech thee out of our soules all pride malice envy covetousnesse selfe-love hypocrisie take from us all swearing lying vaine and unprofitable talking al thoughts of Atheisme Infidelity uncleanenesse all the menstruous filthinesse of our abhominable nature And plant we beseech thee and ingraft deepely into our soules the true feare of thy glorious Name true humility true zeale and devotion true sorrow and repentance for all our sinnes true spirituall wisdome and heavenly understanding true hope and charity but above all things a true strong and a lively faith truly to apprehend the death and Passion of our deare Saviour and in particular and effectually to apply it to our sinfull soules LORD make it ever powerfull and invincible but especially in all times of our crosses and afflictions but LORD make it most triumphant and glorious even at the hower of death at our last visitation when the divell shall set before the eyes of our soules the blacke and ougly catalogue of all our sins and when
and retaine them in our mindes with full purpose of heart to put them in practise c. O LORD bee mercifull unto us pardon and forgive us all our sinnes our many abuses of thy great benefits and mercies especially of thy holy Word passe by we beseech thee our many infirmities and weaknesses Sanctifie unto us at this time our hearing reading and conferring of thy sacred Word Blesse our conceptions and memories that we may rightly conceive it and reteine it in our minds with full purpose of heart to practise it in our lives and conversations Range into order our worldly and wandring thoughts that we may with reverence and attention receive it meditate of it and lay it close unto our hearts that so by thy good blessing wee may bring forth much and good fruit A thankesgiving for the Kings returne out of Spaine and a prayer for his prosperitie ANd as we are specially and extraordinarily bound at this time wee humbly and heartily thanke thee for the safe and comfortable returne of our gracious Prince CHARLES It hath beene from thy great mercy and goodnesse that thou hast gone in and out before him and walkt by him in his most dangerous journey and kept him in all his waies That thou hast beene a brazen wall and fiery pillar about him both by Land and Sea and preserv'd him from every hurtfull snare both of soule and body and broughtst him with peace and comfort againe unto his Fathers house Blessed and bountifull LORD GOD we heartily praise and magnifie we humbly admire and adore the length and breadth and height and depth of thy free grace and love therein to thy Church and Gospell and all that are true of heart Enlarge our hearts we pray thee with all heartinesse and truth to blesse thy great and holy Name the fountaine of all blisse the author of all our good the well-spring of immortality and life wherein we live and move and have our being both naturall spirituall and eternall And good LORD goe on with that glorious and happy worke of blessing him still so settle and establish the feare of thy great Name and truth of our blessed Religion in his Princely heart that he may stand therein like Mount Sion and never be removed So guide and direct by thine own mercifull hand all those great affaires which any waies concerne him and with wisdome from the brest of the everlasting counsell of the LORD JESVS that hee may hereafter prove a glorious and renowned Instrument for the advancement of the Gospel of JESVS CHRIST that the heavenly lampe of thy blessed truth may shine faire and pure upon us all our daies and afterwards upon our children and childrens children to the worlds end and the comming of JESVS CHRIST the second time A Prayer for wholesome and seasonable weather STay thy wrath most gratious Father wee humbly intreate thee in this heavie judgement that is growing upon us by this unseasonable weather Thou hast richly loaden and crowned the earth with abundance of thy goodnesse and bounty Add this mercy we pray thee to give a convenient season season to gather it in comfortably We confesse and acknowledge before thee we farre rather deserve that thou shouldst raine downe fire and brimstone upon our heads for our many horrible sinnes that great one the contempt of thy Word which makes us worse then Sodomites then that thou shouldest answer us in this our desire But wee beseech thee in mercy make us first sensible of thy just displeasure to be humbled to the heart root to part from all our evill waies and to seeke thy face and favour extraordinarily and then returne unto us in thy wonted compassion and love In visitation of the sicke WE confesse unto thee mercifull LORD GOD that out of the consideration of our owne many pollutions and imperfections and the glorious purity of thy holy nature wee finde and feele our selves most unworthy and very fearefull to speake unto thy Majesty either for our selves or others yet because it hath pleased thee to give us a commandement and charge to performe this duty of praying one for another and having a gracious promise annexed of prevailing with thee if our prayers be faithfull and fervent We are bold here upon the knees of our soules with all the instancy and fervency our poore dull hearts can possibly to intreate thy favour and mercy for thy servant our deare Christian Brother that lies here amongst us upon his bed of sicknesse under thy visiting hand Oh blessed LORD we humbly beseech thee for thy CHRIST his sake thy holy Names sake thy infinite mercies sake thy covenant sake to looke downe from Heaven upon him with the eye and affection of tender-heartednesse love Let the loving countenance and cheerefull face of JESVS CHRIST shine comfortably upon him let the powerfull presence of thy sanctifying spirit possesse his heart wholy with all the graces of salvation and blessings of Heaven let the word of thy grace put quickning life and sanctifying power into his soule that it may be rais'd from earth and sin to rest and peace in the bosome of thy compassions Deale with him we pray thee as thou usest to deale with those whom thou fashions and frames for the joyes and pleasures of the life to come Sanctifie O LORD unto him this present sicknesse let it by thy blessings upon it breake and plow up his heart soundly and thorowly to search and to try his waies that so out of the abundance of his feeling he may powre out a most plentifull and sincere confession of his sinnes before thee and groanes and sighs and desires unutterable for pardon and remission of them all in the blood of thy Sonne Let it we pray thee beget and bring forth in him those blessed effects and happy ends which in such cases thou art wont to worke upon the soules of holy men and women Let him upon this occasion bee truly humbled under thy mighty hand with sight of his owne vilenesse frailty and sinfull miseries that from thence may spring in him an unfained and longing desire after CHRIST and comforts of salvation Let him shake off all carnall security dependance or confidence upon the arme of flesh or upon any glory and vanity in this life Let his repentance upon this occasion be performed unto thee with more sincerity universality and thorownesse then ever heretofore A Prayer when any drawes neere unto death O Mercifull LORD GOD upon the knees of our soules and from the ground and bottome of our hearts we humbly beseech thee that wherein soever Satan hath any waies blinded him or his own heart deceived him or how farre soever the image of CHRIST hath beene defaced and decayed in him All his omissions of good duties all his defects and wants in faith repentance prayer obedience c. or whatsoever I say wee most humbly beseech thee to forgive and pardon them all for the passions sake of thine onely Sonne Whatsoever at
have made them much more sinfull by our actuall transgressions ever since we have added a great deale of folly in respect of the mystery of CHRIST every way LORD thou knowest we are become exceeding sinfull We humbly intreate thee in the name of the LORD JESVS to illighten our mindes and open our eyes to see the length and breadth the height and depth of this our sinfull misery for which thou mightest justly bring upon us all the curses in thy booke and all the torments in hell and in the meane time plague us with giving us over to more hardnesse of heart blindnesse of minde deadnesse of conscience slavery under our lusts a reprobate sence and to be finally sealed up with the spirit of slumber against the day of vengeance which are farre worse then all the plagues of Egypt 1. Thou mightest Holy Father even thine owne selfe for our many dishonours and disobedience against thee draw that sword against us that would eate flesh and drinke blood suffer that wrath to be kindled in thy bosome against us which would burne unto the bottome of Hell come against us as a Beare robbed of her whelps and rent the caule of our hearts and teare us in peeces like a Lyon when there is none to helpe 2. Thine owne deare Sonne might for ever deny us his pretious bloud to wash away the least staine from our sinfull soules 3. Thy Holy Spirit might never more put any motion into our hearts 4. Thy blessed Angels might take no more charge over us or be ministring spirits unto us for our good but leave us as a prey to that roaring Lyon and his damned Angels 5. All the Creatures might come justly armed against us with their severall stings and rage to make an end of us for rebelling against thee their Creator 6. This Kingdome wherein we live might justly fall into the mouth of some horrible confusion and we inwrapt in the miseries and desolations thereof 7. All crosses afflictions and thine angry visitations upon us might be unto us the very beginnings of Hellish paines 8. Thy many mercies unto us which should leade us unto repentance might onely serve to far us against the day of slaughter 9. The day of our gratious visitation might end and the Sun set upon the Prophets 10. All thy blessed Ordinances might bee unto us the savour of death unto death 11. Our bodies and soules might bee most justly cast into the bottome of Hell there to be tormented with the damned for ever and ever O LORD our GOD we humbly beseech thee for the LORD JESUS his sake let a serious consideration of this our sinfullnesse and cursednesse breake our stony hearts into peeces make them burst and bleed within us and good LORD our GOD we being thus sincerely humbled let us get faster hold upon the LORD JESVS with a sound and fruitfull faith then heretofore by a stedfast looking upon him and all his sufferings and satisfactions from his comming from thy bosome untill his returning unto thy right hand againe by survaying all the promises of of life sealed with his blood by cleaving to his sweetest name which is to forgive iniquity transgression and sin and resting our selves with a thankfull and joyfull acknowledgement upon that blessed mystery of his free grace which reacheth from everlasting to everlasting c. A Thankesgiving MOst mighty and most glorious Lord God of Heaven and Earth our light and life our Sun and shield the strength of our hearts and our portion forever Thou art the Author of all our good the fountaine of all our blisse the well-spring of immortality and life wherein we live and move and have our being even our naturall spirituall and eternall being And therefore to thy great and glorious Majesty we render from the bottome of our hearts all possible praise and thankesgiving for all those glorious mercies and richest favours which thou from time to time hast abundantly and plentifully vouchsafed unto us most rebellious unthankfull and undeserving wretches We thanke thee for the well-head and first fountaine of them all thy love towards us and of all our good every way even the good pleasure of thine own good will thy free grace and that mercy that reacheth from everlasting to everlasting We thanke thee for putting us into this world in the best and blessed part and time thereof We might have beene borne and lived in the time of the flood and so beene drown'd and damn'd or within the compasse of that almost foure thousand yeares betweene the Creation and the comming of CHRIST out of the partition wall and so have had no meanes or ordinary possibility of salvation But have lived and dyed in cursed Paganisme and Heathenish Idolatry we might have lived in that darke and damned mid-night and have beene choakt with the doctrine of divels wee might have lived at this time of the world but amongst Turks Pagans Infidels where wee should never have heard savingly of JESVS CHRIST It 's thy infinite mercy wee have beene borne and bread and brought up in this happy time of the world and blessed corner of the Earth this illightned Goshan where we have enjoyed or might have enjoyed the glorious Gospell of our blessed GOD with such purity power and peace We thank thee blessed GOD for making us reasonable Creatures capable of grace and immortality Thou mightest have let us lie for ever in that abhorred state of being nothing and wee should never have dishonoured thee Thou mightest have made us of those Angels that are become wicked spirits and then we had beene irrecoverably lost Thou mightest have made us Toads or Tygers vermine or any vild thing and we should never have prooved such Traytors and rebells against thee as we have beene O LORD we praise thee that thou hast made us of thy noblest Creatures and given us understandings like the Angels of GOD so that if we be not cursedly cruell to our owne soules they may be saved everlastingly by the meanes that we enjoy We blesse thee Holy Father for thy Fatherly care of us being yet in our mothers wombe wonderfully and fearefully made For that miraculous mercy in bringing us into this world and giving us leave to see this light For thy gratious watching over us while wee hung upon our mothers breasts since that time for thy mercifull continuance to us of our life health liberty outward meanes the use of our wits limbs senses for all the good wee have had by good yoake-fellowes good Parents good children good servants good neighbours good governours or any of thy good creatures for every step we have made upon this Earth every bit of bread we have put into our mouthes for every draught of aire we have drawne into these fraile bodies and blessings more then heart can thinke or tongue tell and which we can neither possibly remember or expresse Above all we of this place are bound to praise thy goodnesse most mercifull GOD for that most
incomparable Jewel that ever this world had or sons of men enjoyed the Ministery of the Word and meanes of salvation the discovery of the mystery of CHRIST and revelation of all thy blessed counsells By the power whereof so many amongst us as have truly tasted how gratious and glorious thou art in CHRIST doe blesse magnifie and admire the bottomelesse depth and infinite height of thy free grace for our happy conversion from Satan to the living GOD for our change from nature to grace a greater and more glorious work then the Creation of the world wherein thou hast improved thine owne infinite mercie the unvaluable merit of thy Sonne and the mighty worke of the HOLY GHOST to make us of limbs of the divell members of CHRIST O blessed be that happy time that ever we were so new borne Wee thanke thee for pardoning all our sins the least of which would have damned us everlastingly for renewing upon our soules the blessed image of the LORD JESVS the least glimpse whereof is infinitely more worth then the whole world We thank thee for the LORD JESVS and every drop of his pretious blood and all other sweetnesse wee finde in him for thy good Spirit and his gratious presence and residence in our soules for thy blessed selfe and all the sweete Communion we have with thy holy Majesty for the prayers of thy children Communion of Saints and the Intercession of JESVS CHRIST We thanke thee heartily for any power or conquest thou givest us at any time over our sins for all our ability to doe thee any service in any part or kinde of thy worship for all those afflictions and temptations which thou hast sanctified for our spirituall good for all the sweete and heavenly dewes of spirituall joy which thou hast at any time shed into any of our hearts from the throne of grace by the influence of thy holy Spirit Blessed GOD wee thanke thee infinitely for those glorious mansions of rest for our everlasting blessings and peace purchased for us with the blood of CHRIST for every moment of eternity in the highest Heavens where wee shall fully and for ever enjoy pleasures without end and past imagination O blessed Joyes O blessed Eternity O ever-blessed GOD Furthermore gratious Father wee heartily praise thee for all those publique favours and blessings which in great mercy thou hast from time to time vouchsafed unto this Kingdome wherein we have had a large and comfortable part We thanke thee good Father for the happy deliverance of this Kingdome from the fiery and bloudy times of Queene Mary for raising up Queene Elizabeth who raised Religion as it were by a miracle from the dead for all her miraculous deliverances from the cruell conspiracies of the bloody Papists especially that in 88. For all her blessed daies wherein so many Holy Saints were sent to Heaven We thanke thee mercifull GOD for delivering us from the rage and bloud of that day so long looked for by the Papists at Queene Elizabeths death for the quiet and happy succession of King Iames of blessed memory and all the peace and prosperity and freedome from Popery and the destroying sword especially the Powder-plot We thanke thee Father most heartily for the gratious setling of King CHARLES in the Royall Throne for his life and safety and the happy daies we enjoy under his blessed raigne and that thou hast put into his royall heart to give us this blessed liberty and glorious opportunity thus to humble our selves and afflict our soules in publique before thy glorious Majesty We humbly intreate thee in the name of CHRIST let every one of us receive at thy bountifull hands grace and power to doe it unfainedly effectually and savingly For that purpose let thy blessings fall abundantly from Heaven upon every soule here present by the Ministery of thy Word settle fast we pray thee by the finger of thy Holy Spirit in our memories judgement affections hearts and consciences all those points of Holy Truth with which wee have beene acquainted with this day that by thy mercifull blessing they may prove thy arme and power to every one of us for our salvation for the conversion of those who are yet uncalled and the setting forward of those that are already thine in the waies of life all holy conversation and neerer communion with thy blessed Majesty At last we cannot but reflect with compassionare hearts upon the grievous miseries and bleeding sorrowes of all our brethren and sisters afflicted with the plague of Pestilence Thou art a pitifull GOD full of tendernesse meltings and compassions thou art the Father of mercies and GOD of all comforts now we humbly intreate thee for thy deare Sonnes sake for thy infinite mercies sake for thy holy names sake of all thy loves unto the LORD JESVS and that with all the earnestnesse and fervency our poore dull hearts can possibly that thou wouldest bee pleased to cast downe thy compassionate eye upon them all stay the hand of thy destroying Angell spare them good LORD destroy not the people of thine inheritance put up we pray thee thy arrowes into thy quiver and thy sword into the sheath now at the joynt supplications of all thy deare children who are in this Kingdome who are even now wrastling with thee with all fervency of spirit let our poore prayers and all theirs even now meeting at the throne of grace bee mightily strengthened and tendered unto thee by the intercession of the LORD JESVS and pull downe speedily upon us this mercy and gratious deliverance that we may praise thee for evermore Lastly blessed LORD we humbly beseech thee to pardon in mercy all those corruptions infirmities faylings defects and imperfections which have beene mingled with these holy duties sprinkle all our services sacrifices and persons with the blood of that immaculate Lambe JESVS CHRIST the holy and the Righteous accept them and us gratiously in him in whom thou art well pleased in whom thy soule doth infinitely delight And so good Father we put our selves under the wings of thy gratious providence for our safety and preservation and our soules into the hands of the Holy Ghost for our further Sanctification and finall salvation in the name of JESVS CHRIST to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost even to thee holiest Father to thee dearest Saviour to thee sweetest Spirit be ascribed eternity infinitenesse and everlastingnesse of glory and praise world without end The Authors private Prayer O My good and mercifull LORD GOD most holy and deare Father in JESVS CHRIST I the vilest of all thy creatures and the worst that ever thou madest by reason of mine owne horrible sins doe here come unto thee upon the bended knees of my bleeding soule to intreate thee and beg at thy hands with all the instancy and fervency my poore dull cold heart can possibly for pardon grace and mercy for favour compassion and abundant forgivenesse O LORD my GOD thou knowest me full well and