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A65357 The godly mans delight or A family guide to pietie containing directions to a holy life with certain Christian dialogues also prayers & meditations upon severall occasions. T. W. 1679 (1679) Wing W121; ESTC R219275 84,760 225

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Eternity on which felicity or eternal misery attends O Lord increase our Faith and settle us in that Faith that is precious and pure that by it we may be able to resist the Devil and overcome and conquer the World and the Flesh that it may be the substance of things not seen and that thereby we may be like Noah to prepare an Ark against a Deluge condemning the World O give us the trying Faith of Abraham the living Faith of dying Jacob and the living Faith of Moses to chuse affliction rather than sin that we may esteem the reproach of Christ the greatest riches that we may by that Faith obtain Promises work Righteousness Now the God of Peace that brought again our Lord Jesus Christ the great Shepherd through the everlasting Covenant keep us Amen A Prayer for Fryday Evening GReat and glorious Lord in Jesus Christ a tender Father to humble and penitent sinners let conscience of duty and not custom attend our approaches unto thee the Lord of Life and Glory thy mercies of this day are more than we can conceive but the requitals we have made how inequivolent are they How seldom did we look up to thee that always seest us at what a low ebb are our thoughts of thee O lay our hearts as low and much lower in reference to our selves Let us not O our God find our return of mercies according to our miscarriages let us not thereby be disappointed of our rest and refreshment this approaching night Blessed be thy Name that thou hast laid help on one that is able to save O save us by him let his Blood plead and his Person satisfie and let him prevail for us and his offering up of himself clear us Lord we believe help our unbelief O that our hearts were more heavenly and more removed from this drossie earth that we might in nothing be careful O help us to be good and do good in our Generation Help us to chuse affliction rather than sin that we may follow the great high Priest of our Profession by the Cross to the Crown and by the Grave to Glory Mind us of our end and give us wisdom to consider in this day of ours the things that belong to our peace before they be hid from our eyes and seeing our time is but short let our zeal be the greater Let the blessing pronounced in the Mount be our portion Let us both be pure and poor in spirit Give us to mourn for sin that we may be comforted Let us be armed with meekness and hungering and thirsting after righteousness and satisfie us Let mercifulness peace and sufferings for righteousness sake comfort us here and hereafter in and through Jesus Christ in whose Name we farther call on thee in his own words Our Father c. A Prayer for Saturday Morning MOst holy most glorious Lord the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for whose sake alone we beg pardon for all our sins secret and known of ignorance or knowledge of youth or riper years against thy Law or Gospel Deliver thy poor Creatures from all those curses denounced against sin and sinners None ever confessed and forsook sin but found mercy O sanctifie us throughout with thy holy Spirit that we may live the life of faith and not of sin being assured that it shall go well with the righteous they shall eat the fruit of their doings Blessed Lord give us grace to walk worthy the mercies of the last nights refreshments Let thy good providence be over us this day preserve us in our concerns Deliver us both Souls and Bodies that desire to fear thy holy Name that we may be praising the riches of thy free grace Let us be blessed in our goings out and comings in Let thy glory be our greatest design in whatsoever we undertake Prepare us for our later end and our great account and let Eternity be always eyed by us Let our thoughts words and actions be considered and poised Let every day put us in mind of the great day that in every day we may be drawn a step nigher unto Christ our Redeemer in whom and for whom we bless thee for ever Amen A Prayer for Saturday Evening O Most blessed Lord thou art acquainted with our down-lying and uprising and art near to all them that call on thee in truth and sincerity Let not iniquity prevail over us Let thy grace be sufficient for us against sin and Sathans wiles and help us to be thankful both in heart and life for what thou art pleased to bestow upon us by way of providence Help us in time of health to prepare for sickness and death in time of plenty to prepare for want and to lay up a store of never sading treasure Sanctifie both days labour and nights rest and pardon the sins of the whole week past and help us in thy day following to be so sitted and qualified that we may be as diligent for thee as we have been for our selves that it may be a day of rejoycing Let it be such a Sabbath as that it may be an earnest of an eternal Sabbath where we shall rejoyce and praise thee for ever Grant that by practising holiness we may enjoy happiness seeing that it must and shall go well with the Godly their great evils shall be removed and sin pardoned the mercy of mercies he cannot be miserable who has a God so merciful as to pardon his sin O grant us this mercy what ever else thou deny thy will be done for outward comforts so that we by the riches of this thy free grace have such pardon of sin as we be not disturbed in inward comforts Grant that by living to thee here we may enjoy thee hereafter Let us be content with tossings so that we may enjoy the desired Haven nay though our Ship viz. this Body breaks let us that is our Souls be secured in the Lord Ch●●●● Let our crosses end in comforts our miseries in matchless joyes our tears in true tunes for Heaven and let our conquest over all end in the praise of our great Captain All these and what thou knowest may better fit us for thy self grant for thy promise and for thy Sons sake to whom be Eternal Glory Amen A Prayer for a Woman with-child before her time of Delivery MOst Holy Lord Blessed be thy great Name for thy mercy shewed to thine Hand-maid thou hast given her good hopes through grace to become a joyful Mother thou art Righteous in all thy ways thy threat for sin is just that in sorrow the Woman should bring forth yet thou of thy great mercy hast taken off from me the reproach of Woman and hast given me strength to conceive and to nourish it hitherto O preserve both me and it at the time of Travel Let me bring forth and let the work be compleated by thee by whom Creatures are wonderfully made Prepare thy poor Creature by Faith and Prayer for that hour that
The unconverted Sinners Prayer for a full Conviction of the dangerous state he is in GReat Gracious and most Righteous Lord God blessed for ever be thine unspeakable mercy that desirest not the Death of the worst of Sinners that turn unto thee to live for ever Oh thou that of Persecutors madest glorious Martyrs of an Adultress madest an humble Penitent O shew forth thy Long-suffering Patience and Forbearance upon me Deliver me from all my Sins from thy Wrath to come and that Eternal Judgment that ends in Hell with Devils and damned Impenitents Leave me not in the state of Devils without hope of pardon O pardon that great sin of setting more by Meat and Drink and beastly Pleasures than by thee the God that made me a rational Creature that slighted endless Glory that took more care of an Earthly Tabernacle than an Immortal Soul that took more care to avoid Shame Poverty and Sickness than to avoid everlasting Shame Pain and Horror in Hell Blessed be the Lord that will not leave such sinners as my self to die in their sins but pluck such sire-brands out of the jaws of Hell and gives them to know the evil of sin O that I were once fit to taste and see how gracious the Lord is to believers to them alone he is precious the fairest of Ten thousands O guid my feet into those untrodden paths that lead to the Fountain of Living Waters set open for sinners to wash in and be purged from their filthiness O give me faith to see him whom my sins have pierced Give me the grace and spirit of supplication to mourn after him without which grace I have not nor can have no hope of pardon For what communion hath darkness with light O possess my Soul with this belief That without holiness there can be no happiness without fanctity no salvation nor without heavenly-mindedness no Heaven O be it so unto thy servant for his sake that suffered for great nay the greatest of sinners of whom I am the chief that I may live to praise thee and admire the riches of thy immense and boundless love to Eternity Amen A Prayer for power to believe O Glorious and Merciful Lord God whose abundant and unspeakable goodness has been extended to poor man before he had a being in the World Let the beams of thy loving kindness environ me and as thou hast been pleased to convince me of sin righteousness and iudgment O help me to believe in him whose mercy extends to the ends of the Earth and that I may take i●●●● on him by the hand of faith that it may be the substance of things not seen to take hol● on the rich promise laid down in thy word concerning thy Son who is mighty to save all them that come unto God by him and to accept him in all his Offices as King and Law-giver to rule and defend me as P●ie●t to sacrifice for me as Prophet to reveal the will of God unto me Help me to trust in thy holy Spirit to mortifie and kill my sin in me and to illuminate and sanctifie and quicken me that thereby I may be rendered meet for serving thee here and enjoy thee hereafter O help me to demonstrare out of my Conversation what is the hope of my Calling and establish me in a constant belief of Salvation by the apprehension of a renewed mind from fleshly and transitory joys to an heavenly and permanent happiness where there are pleasures for evermore Help thy poor Creature to be Conquerer yea more than Conquerer through Jesus Christ over Devil World and Flesh that I may be renewed in the spirit of my mind Possess me with the New Birth strengthen all my inward Faculties my Faith my Love and Zeal and whereas my desire was to run from God it may now be to run unto him and cast my self upon him for all in Christ Jesus Amen The Converts Prayer MOst powerful Lord God thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory thy ways are perfect and pure Let God be true and every one a liar Blessed be thy Name for thy unspeakable kindness and love to me who am less than the least of all thy mercies Thou hast been pleased to bring me out of darkness and shadow of death and lead me into the way of peace and out of darkness into thy mervellous light and to bring me into the Kingdom of thy dear Son O the immensity the breadth and length depth and height of the loving kindness of God in the Lord Jesus Christ that wast pleased of a Bond-slave to make a Free-denizon of Heaven of a Prisoner of Hell and Death one at Liberty and delivered me from that Eternal Wrath to come Oh! the free mercy of God that hath withholden death from seizing upon me the which if it had where had I been Oh happy and blessed was it that thou shouldst put out thine hand and touch me with the rod of thine affliction so that I may say It is good for me that I was afflicted O blessed Redeemer give me thy Spirit without which I am undone to apply the precious Blood of the New Covenant to my Soul without which I can do nothing that thy good Spirit may direct me into the way everlasting to know God and Jesus Christ which is Life Eternal Inflame me with love to thy self thy Laws and Commandments Preserve me from the sin of Presumption let the love of Holiness in me express it self in the abandoning all and every similitude of sin from my heart that I may abhor that viz. Sin that once was so amiable to me Let thy strength appear in my weakness and let thy grace be sufficient for me Accommodate me with a resolvedness to follow thee Let Christ Heaven and Glory be my Object and my Mark to aim at Let Christ be my Center upon whose account I conclude my imperfect requests in his own words Our Father c. Considerations of Death 1. COnsider That all the Pleasures Treasures and Comforts of this Life as Wife Children Goods Gold Friends Lands Livings large Possessions Dignity Honours sumptuous Fare and pleasant Prospects spacious Walks delicate Gardens nay even the World it self in its lustre and all that is therein on which thou hast doted so much and squandered so much time in shall and must all at the stroke of Death be extinguished the which Heaven it self or any created Power cannot prevent but will quite be obliterated and for ever lost never more to be minded or meddled with or enjoyed either in this World or the World to come but in as much as we must give an account of our using and abusing of them When our breath goeth forth out of our Bodies our thoughts perish and therefore make it thy business and think it thy chiefest prudence to wean thy affections from this fading World by little and little with a resolute and holy violence least thou find it harder to part with all at once 2.
regular in thy course and withal be mindful who it is that must be thy Judge 4. Be much in the attendance of the Word read and preached for that is the only way that God has appointed for himself to be found in moreover it is that that will discover unto thee what is thy Duty 5. And lastly Be much in Prayer for this is that that will give success to all other this is the Conduit-pipe to convay or discover all our wants to God and mercies from God to us FORMS OF PRAYERS For Particular Persons For every Day in the Week A Prayer for the Sabbath-day Morning MOst Holy and Glorious Lord God I sinful dust and ashes presuming to approach thy presence desire that thou wilt please to fit my heart for the approaching so holy a Presence as thine is that on this day I may be so sitted according to the preparations of thy Sanctuary as that I may meet with thy self that thou mayest communicate something that may be of refreshment unto my Soul by thy Word and Spirit yea that I may be found in the Spirit on the Lord's day O Lord pardon my sins that I have been guilty of this week past and all my life past and let them not stand as a flood to stop my Prayers from ascending unto thee or to keep back the influences of thy holy Spirit from my Soul O Lord looking upon them and upon my nature polluted by them it makes me afraid to look up unto Heaven Nay indeed I durst not only thou hast commanded me to come unto thee by the vertue of the precious Blood of thy Son Christ that is my strong consolation hope and comfort Moreover Lord thou hast prescribed a comfortable promise that thou wilt pardon the sins of thy People for thy own Names sake O therefore for thy own Names sake do away all my sins in the Blood of Jesus Christ that I may appear before thee in the Robes of Christ's Righteousness and and not in mine own seeing all mine is but as menstruous cloth and filthy rags Lord prepare me for this thy days work help me in it and keep me after it that thy Spirit may seal up Divine Truths in the closet of my heart that laying them up in my heart I may practise them in my life and bring forth fruit with patience meet for repentance Lord let neither the cares of the World nor the deceitful thoughts of riches choak thy Seed sown nor let Satan steal it out of my heart but let it be as good seed sown in a good and honest heart that taking root downward it may bring forth fruit upward being watered with the bedewings of thy Spirit O come in this day with fresh reviving Grace that thereby I may be so quickned and qualified as that I may meet with thy self Let this day be so sanctified to me as that I may say in the close thereof 't is not in vain but good to draw nigh to thy self that I am drawn a step nigher this day to thy self by the Blood of Christ Lord pardon the want of a reverent frame of spirit the unworthy obtrusion into thy presence at this time and look upon my unworthiness in the worthiness of Christ my imperfection in his perfection my sinfulness in his righteousness and my weakness in his strength that I may appear righteous in thy sight in his righteousness and that for his own sake Amen A Prayer for the Sabbath-day Evening GRacious God notwithstanding the much imperfection my Soul has been clogged with this day thou hast given me cause this day to say from a grounded experience that it is not in vain to draw nigh unto thee Lord I heartily thank thee for the refreshing smiles of thy countenance this day in thy Ordinances O how good is it to draw nigh to God in his own way Blessed be thy Name holy God That never saidst to the Seed of Jacob seek ye my face in vain Lord thou hast been so good in communicating thy self unto me by thy Word and Spirit that I may say with thy Servant David What shall I render unto the Lord for all his Mercies Lord it is matter of wonder and admiration to me that thou shouldest deal so with me seeing thou hast been provoked by my coldness and deadness in such a manner I beseech thee O Lord pass by all my miscarriages that I have been guilty of this day let not them be a prevention of a future supply of my wants and necessities Nay let not them be the cause of thy withdrawing thy self in future attendances on thee nor the cause of removing thy Ordinances thy Gospel thy faithful Ministers and Messengers O Lord thou hast declared thy self a God of mercy and indeed I may as it were set to my Seal seeing my provocations have been so many and so great Lord thou hast not dealt after the manner of men with me Let thy manifold Mercies be an engagement to stir me up to a more watchful frame of spirit that by my negligence I incur not thy displeasure Lord pardon sins past and humble me for sins present and keep me from sins ●o come that thereby I may be rendred meet for every good word and work Accept my willing ness and overlook my weakness in thy only Son Jesus Christ in whom thou art well pleased In whose Name I thank thee for all my enjoyments and through whose Blood I desire to receive all my Mercies and for whom I desire to bless thee To him and thee the onely wise God be praise for ever Amen A Prayer for Monday Morning BLessed God all thy dealings with the Sons of men attest thy liberality ●y and bounty thou renewest thy mer●ies every morning Lord renew my ●eart that I may be capacitated to serve thee and to sing new Songs of praises ●o thee every morning Blessed God thank thee that thou hast made my life ●recious in thy sight that thou hast chained up Satan that roaring Lyon that goes about night and day seeking whom be may devour that would have devoured me Soul and B●dy unless prevented by thy power and goodness O help me so long as I have a being to praise thee Lord how mightest thou have made my ●ed my grave my sleep my death and have cut me off from the Land of the living yet thou hast been pleased to preserve me and keep me from the rage of cruel Enemies both spiritual and corporal Seeing Lord thou hast dealt thus with me let this day be of great use to to me that I may learn some things in it that may be of special use for my Souls advantage and that seeing all time was given for the Service of God that I may in my employment meditate either on the word that I have heard thy day past or thy works in which are many wonderful mysterious things to be seen worthy taking notice of and contemplating upon Help me so to begin the week
week past and grant that they may not interrupt the benefit of thy day to come if it shall please thee to bring me to the opportunity of it Qualifie me and prepare me for such a work as thy Sabbath expects from me according to the preparation of thy Sanctuary and being prepared I may meet with thy Self let thy Word be sweet to my Soul let it descend as rain upon the new-mown Grass let it water my dry and parched Soul and let the influences of thy Spirit accompany it that it may be effectual to the saving of my Soul Pardon the sins of this day of this present duty and all my life and accept my imperfection in the perfection of Christ Amen Of the SABBATH 1. WHat the Sabbath is and how many-fold it is 2. Of what use it is to us Christians 3. Why it was appointed 4. What are the Works to be done or omitted 1. As to the first What the Sabbath is The Sabbath amongst the Hebrews is called Schabbat Schebbet or Schabbathon that is a Cessation vacation from labour or rest Moreover it is called a Day by God devoted for his Worship and that for four Reasons 1. Because God on that day rested from his work of Creation although not from his Work of Providence 2. Because that the Sabbath is the Image or Representative of that spiritual and future Rest from sin 3. Because on this day we ought to rest from our Oeconomicks from our Houshold Affairs that God might imploy us in his Work 4. Because that our Servants and labouring Beasts might rest on that Day 2. Duplex enim est Sabbathum the Sabbath is two-fold 1. Moral and Internal or 2. Ceremonial or External First Moral and Internal or Spiritual and that is the desire of the knowledge of God and his Works to the end that we may avoid sin and serve God both in word and deed In a word It is an abstaining from sin and exercising the Works of God and worshipping him Isai 66.23 Secondly Ceremonial or External and that is an appointed and set time separate in the Church for the ministration of the Sacraments and dispensing the Word and other things appointed of God himself and this is either Mediately or Immediately from God himself appointed and laid down to the Church in the Old Testament which also is divers 1. A Sabbath of days which is every Seventh day of the Week peculiarly so called because of God's resting from his Creation work and for his people to rest on Thence by the Hebrews by a Synecdoche the whole week was called Sabbathum or Sabbatha c. 2. A Sabbath of Months Neomeniae viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nova Luna the time of the New Moon 3. A Sabbath of Years viz. every Seventh year in which the Jewish people were not to sow their ground Lev. 2.3 4 26 35. Lev. 25.8 2. More Mediate or external which God appointed by his Church in the New Testament which is the first day of the week namely the Lords Day which was observed by the Christian Church from the time of the Apostles instead of the seventh day and that in respect of the Resurrection of Christ 2. As to the second viz. of what use the Sabbath is to Christians The Sabbath from the beginning was appointed by God to the end that Man by God's Example might rest from all his Works especially from sin and afterward was renewed in the Mosaical Law to the end God might shew that yet he would honour the Sabbath more in sanctifying it to his Church namely that he would forgive their sins and receive them into his favour by the Messiah promised to their Fathers and that to be exhibited or held forth in his time and this may serve for a Reason why the Ceremonial Sabbath viz. the Seventh day is abolished wherein is represented the bounty of the Messiah and also puts us in mind of his Offices upon which acccount all the rest of the Sacraments Sacrifices and Ceremonies instituted before and after the Law were abolished by the coming of Christ notwithstanding this Sabbath's abrogation in the New Testament yet the Moral Sabbath is permanent and is of great use to us namely that we might have a certain time appointed for the work and service of God it being no less necessary that a certain day be instituted now in the Christian as well as formerly in the Jewish Church for the dispensing of the Word and administring publickly the Sacraments of God Moreover we are not limited to any day of the week strictly as some will have it as the third fourth or fifth or any other and therefore the Apostolical Church being free by the gift of or if you will by that liberty freely bestowed by Christ for distinction sake to wit between them and the Jewish Synagogue they used the First day for the Seventh for this probable Reason that on that day of Christ's Resurrection our spiritual and internal Sabbath was begun in us In a word we are bound to a Ceremonial Sabbath in genere sed non in specie that is that we ought to have a day wherein the Church may be taught and the Sacraments administred yet limited to no certain day Obj. 1. The Decalogue is a perpetual Law may some say The Command concerning the Sabbath is of the Decalogue therefore the Law is perpetual Resp. True The Decalogue is perpetual as it is Moral but the Appendices or Determinations of Moral Commands in respect of signification were only to be kept till the coming of Christ Obj. 2. The Precepts of the Decalogue belong to all This is a Precept of the Decalogue therefore this belongs to all Resp. Granted as touching its Morality but it is also Ceremonial in part and so it doth not belong to us nisi quo ad genus The Reasons are evident 1. Sr. Paul saith Col. 2.16 Let none judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the New Moon or of the Sabhath 2. The Apostles themselves changed the Seventh-days Sabbath 3. From the end of the Law it was a Type of things to be fulfilled by Christ to wit of Sanctification c. the Type must needs be abrogated the thing typified being produced Obj. 3. The Lord saith of the Sabbath That it is a sign for ever between him and the children of Israel Therefore the Sabbath is not to be abolished Resp. The Ceremonial Sabbath is perpetual until Christ which is the end of Ceremonies 2. The Sabbath is eternal quo ad rem significatam which is a cessation from sin and rest in God and so of all other Types in the Old Testament yea the Kingdom of David which was destroyed at the coming of the Messiah Obj. 4. The Laws given before Moses 's time were immutable The Seventh-days Sabbath was instituted before Moses 's Therefore the Sevenths-days Sabbath is immutable provided that we assent that Moses 's Laws were mutable Resp. 'T is
Heaven and the Torments of Hell And 3. The last and strict day of account 4. The vanity of Earthly Things 5. The uncertainty of our Lives 41. A Man naturally is weaving Spiders Webbs or hatching Cockatrice Eggs exercised either in mischief or vanity 42. It would much avail to the well-ordering of our thoughts to set our Souls in order every morning and to streng-then and perfume every morning our Spirits with some gracious Meditations especially of the chief end and scope wherefore we live and how every thing may be reduced and ordered to farther the main that is to say Gods Glory and our own Salvation 43. Some will be content to embrace Truth without hatred of the World and Christ without a Cross and a Godly Life without a Persecution They will pull a Rose without Pricks Such empty conceits will be too weak to encounter with such real Trials 44. It is a course that will have a blessing attended to joyn in a league one to watch over another and to observe each others ways T is usual to joyn in Prayer why not in this 45. Happy is he that in the way to Heaven meets with a chearful and skilful Guid and fellow Traveller that carrieth Corbials against all faintings of Spirit 46. There is an heavy imputation on them that comforted not the weak when men will not own others in trouble but as the herd of Deer forsake and push away the wounded from them 47. God often suspends comforts from us to make use of our Christian Friends by whom he purposeth to do us good Oftentimes the very opening of mens griefs brings ease without any farther workings upon them the very opening of a Vein cooleth the Blood 48. A Christian when he is beaten out of all other comforts yet hath a God to turn unto he can wrestle with him with his own Strength and plead with him with his own Arguments 49. Labour to answer every relation wherein thou standest to God 1. As a Father by trusting to his care 2. A Teacher by following his Direction 3. A Creator by depending on him 4. As an Husband by an inseparable love to him 5. And lastly as a Lord by obedience to him 50. Despair is often ground of hope when the darkness of the night is thickest then the morning begins to dawn 51. We may safely expect God in his ways of mercy when we are in his ways of obedience 52. By trusting any thing more than God we make it an Idol and a Curse It will prove a lying vanity and vexation bringing that upon us we looked not for 53. 'T is a vain pretence to believe that God will give us Heaven and yet to leave our selves to shift in the way 54. The way to have any thing taken away and not blest is to set our hearts too much upon it 55. The greatest honour we can do to God is when we see nothing for us but 〈…〉 things contrary to what we look for then to shut our eyes to all inferior things and to look altogether to his suf●●●●● 56. It is an 〈…〉 of true trust when 〈◊〉 a wait Gods leisure and not make ha●● 57. ●●ith doth not especially at first so ●●●y the Soul as to take away all suspicion and fears to the contrary though the prevailing of mis-belief is taken away The Needle in the Compass will stand North though with some trembling and the Ship that lieth at Anchor may sometimes be tossed yet it will remain so fastned that it cannot be carried away by wind or weather 58. Look not so much on those miseries which our weak Natures are subject unto as upon God for strength and comfort in them mitigation of them and grace to profit by them 59. The time of sickness is the time of purging from the defilements of sin which we have gathered in our health till we come purer out which should make us the rather willing to obey God and abide his time Blessed is that sickness that proves the health of the Soul we are best for the most part when we are weakest 60. In all kind of troubles 't is not the ingredients that God puts into the Cup that so much afflicts as the ingredients of our distempered passion mingled with them 61. We are not much disquieted when we put off our Cloths and go to Bed because we trust Gods ordinary providence to raise us up again and why should we be disquieted when we put off our Bodies and sleep our last sleep considering that we are more sure to rise out of our Graves than our Beds yea we are already raised up in our head Christ 62. Let us do our own work and leave God to do his Diligence and Trust in him is only ours the rest of the burden is his Let us think of Christ as our duty and God will think what is for our comfort 63. In the worst times there is a presence of God with his Children 1. By moderating the measure 2. The time 3. In joyning some comfort with it And 4. By supportation 65. A good Christian hath 1. A God to go unto 2. A Promise 3. Former Experience besides some present Experience 65. What is our Life but a Web woven with some intermingling of Wants and Favours Crosses and Blessings Risings and Fallings Combats and Victories 66. God deferrs but his deferring is no empty space wherein no good is done but there is in that space a fitting for the Promise 67. Christ prays in the Garden before he enters into the Combate of his resolved passion whence we may learn that Prayer is an Anchor to stay the Soul being tossed a support under a burden a removal of a judgment or an affliction or changes the nature of the affliction 68. It is more comfort to receive strength in suffering than to be delivered from suffering 69. Our sins were the cause of Christs Agony the Thorns that prick'd him the Spear that pierced him the Torments that afflicted him 70. We should always abhor sin more in regard it is hateful to God than because it is hurtful to us 71. We had need to pray that the great change be wrought in us before the great change be wrought upon us 72. As the Blood of Jesus only can free us from the guilt of sin so his Spirit alone can cleanse our hearts from the filth of sin 73. Let us pray that God would shew us what we are by Nature and make us what he would have us by Grace 74. There is nothing terrible in death but what a wicked life hath made so 75. Let us chuse to suffer rather than sin seeing we may suffer without sin but we can never sin without suffering 76. Shall Christ shed his Blood for those sins that were others and shall not we shed tears for sins that are our own 78. A true Christian believes that good works can't save him and yet he believes that he can't be saved without them 79. Let us repent
What distractions their Minds What fear their Hearts What deadness their Understanding at the Great Assize Then they will say what madness and distractedness did possess us that we should be so foolish as list our selves under his Banner that now will be our tormentor and that like so many Esau's sold our Birth-right for a mess of Pottage for a few merry hours and a little ease and delight When they see the Heavens pass away as a scroll and the Earth melt with fervent heat they shall see the resemblance of their approaching misery pourtrayed Then they shall feel the punishment both of sense and loss then they shall have God's Vials of wrath and indignation poured upon them then they shall be sensible of that devouring fire that God so many times by his faithful Ministers hath pressed upon them that fire that either consumes or refines the world shall burn the sinner to all Eternity and yet shall neither be consumed nor refined always a dying but never dead And then how will his merry days be vanished as a dream and his jovial life will be as a tale that is told and his Repartees pleasant Sports and wanton Dalliances his Cups and Queans his vain hopes of Heaven and confident Conceits all all deceased all will be pass'd away together This is the time that sinners that the wretched world shall be discriminated from the happy Saints whose misery and property is to be wise too late The Vizard of the World will then be taken off it will be then unvailed and then the seeming holiness of the Hypocrite will be conspicuous and will be exposed to the face and view of all the world and then shall he see his own folly not only in reference to his own Soul but also in slighting Christ offered to him in the Gospel then he shall see how nigh he came to the Kingdom of Heaven and yet came shert of it and how shall he expect or imagine to be hid in the day of the Lords anger that knew that his Judge every day was looking on when he so dissembled and cheated the world himself and God as he supposed O ye Hypocrites God one day will force your Consciences to witness against you and your tongues to consess the accusation Christ's Ministers must be brought in to ●●●est for God and if God be against you who shall then be for you If Christ that would have saved thee be against thee and condemn thee who shall be able to justifie thee All that feared God will attest against thee What a deplorable condition will it be to think how the Master shall evidence against his own Servant the Husband against the Wife and the Wife against the Husband the Parents against their own Children and the Children against their own Parents Sinful Compotators or Pot-Companions little conjecture they must bear witness of and concerning those sins that they have helped forward in others and they themselves heard and did swearing and execrating and mocking those that feared God and scoffing at an holy Life The Fornicators little think that their lustful and wanton Mates must bear witness against them that thought they had been concealed in secret places and that that secresie shall be laid open to the view of the world and that those that encouraged them to sin shall accuse them of sin O! the cold comfort that such will have in the reflection of all their pleasures at that day when the very devils that tempted them to such and such sins will stand at their elbows to accuse and witness against them and tell them that they were no readier to tempt than they were ready to assent to every temptation Where on the contrary they slighted Gods Ministers and strivings of God's Spirit within them The very Angels will witness against them at that day and Conscience will produce its black Bill of his secret reclamings and of all the Examples that have ever been to demonstrate the displeasure and hatred God has against such sins as they have been Assenters to and Agents in In turning the Grace of God into wantonness and in gaming and squandring away precious time in which time instead of working out their own salvation they have wrought out their damnation God's Book of Record will be produced concerning all the thoughts words and actions against sinners Nothing shall have been done in secret that shall not be revealed Luke 8.17 Nay every man shall be his own Accuser at that day The painted Hypocrite will then cry out of his out-side profession fair without but foul within a meer painted Sepulcher The covetous Usurers Conscience will accuse and condemn him for cozening and cheating others for griping and grinding the faces of others The rich Man's wealth will so cry out against him and the Canker of his Gold and Silver will witness against him that he shall be forced to say Lord I am in thy hand do as it seemeth good in thy sight with me His Riches will be corrupted and his Garments moth-eaten And the profane Sabbath-breaker that notwithstanding all the rebukes by evident Judgments from God did profane the Sabbath and instead of communicoting divine Truths as for spiritual Food and Manna for his Soul to feed upon from Sabbath to Sabbath shall be forced to cry out Lord I have neglected the day of Grace do as it pleaseth thee towards me I have instead of learning those things that would have instructed me in the way of life learned that that has brought me to destruction and this is the fruits of my Labour instead of keeping and subjugating my self to Divine Laws I have rebelled both against Divine and Humane Laws even the very Laws of Nature and Humanity have I broken Instead of attending thy Ordinances I have attended the Invitations of my own Lusts O you that are yet on this side Hell this side Eternity have a care of stifling a good Conscience and know that if you will not hear it now you shall be constrained to hear when all your political excuses shall be debarred your mouths stopped you shall stand speechless and Conscience God's Witness set up in every Mans breast shall be heard There were four sorts of Hearers specified in Christ's Parable but one sort good the rest were Sabbath-breakers such as there are many now a-days that instead of getting their hearts prepared according to the preparation of the Sanctuary to meet with God and hear what he will dispense to them from his Word they trim paint and pin away a good Conscience in trimming and painting and pinning their Bodies Where is that that the Scripture commands I say the time that should be spent in preparation for meeting with God is spent in dressing and trimming these crasie and rotten houses of clay that is like to fall at the blast of every Distemper and e're long shall be turned into earthy dross and clay as trees that cumber the ground and are useless in their Generation They
of all my enjoyment for whom I bless thee and to whom with thy Holy Self and blessed Spirit be praises for evermore Amen A Prayer for Wednesday Morning HOly God grant me a pardon of all my sins and in particular the sins of this night past all my vain thoughts and cogitations Lord I cannot express them unto thee in particular yet thou knowest them all I pray thee Lord blot them out of the Book of thy remembrance cast them behind thy back let them never be seen any more either in this life or in the world to come to my condemnation Lord as thou art pleased every Morning to renew thy Mercies to me renew my heart within me that I may be occasioned to renew my thankfulness to thy self for thy bounty and benignity to me let the improvement of left-hand Mercies engage thee to a further supply of right-hand Mercies the improvement of temporal Mercies engage thee to a further supply of spiritual Mercies and let both be so improved by me that thou mayest have the Glory and I may have comfort in and through thy dear Son Jesus Christ Help me this day in all my transactions to remember thee and that I may set the Lord always before mine eyes that I may thereby resist every temptation as thy Servants Job Joseph and David did Let the soundness of my state be demonstrated by the regularity of my course Regulate and rectifie what thou seest irregular in my life that all my designs and purposes may be for thy Honour let Piety be my delight let sin be the object of my hatred accept what is good in me Be my counsel in my enterprizes and undertakings and direct my will that I may do nothing but what tends to thy Glory for Christ's sake Amen A Prayer for Wednesday Evening O Eternal God who art glorious in Holiness fearful in thy Praises doing Wonders Blessed by thy holy Name thou givest poor C eatures such as I occasion to rejoyce in thee and to seek unto thee through the mediation of thy dear and well-beloved Son Jesus Christ Lord let all Mercies be of great use to me for the drawing out of my heart after thy self Pardon me that I have been no more enamour'd with thy Son that he has been no more amiable to my Soul even the fountain of all my Mercies the well-spring of all Goodness the Author of all my Enjoyments and by whom all my sins must be pardoned if they be pardoned O Lord look upon his satisfaction and intercession for me O divest me of the rags of my sin and invest me with the Robes of Christ's Righteousness let the stream of his precious Blood obliterate those crimson and scarlet stains that sin hath made in my poor Soul O Lord what time might I have redeem d wherein I might have had more communion with thy self and thy Son Christ and done more for thy Honour if I had been wiser Lord help me this night to experience more of thy love to my Soul by coming in with fresh supplies of Grace received Grace is not sufficient for me my nature is very much declining and therefore grant me fresh streams of Love and Grace that thereby I may acquiesce in and upon thee knowing thou art a God sufficient for all these things I stand in need of I bless thee for my preservation and sustentation thou hast preserved and sustained me with O sustain my Soul with fresh influences of thy Countenance and as I am about to betake my self to my rest draw thou the Curtain of thy Fatherly Protection about me Help me to sanctifie thee in my heart laying my head to my pillow And that for Christ's sake Amen A Prayer for Thursday Morning MOst Holy God before whose presence the Angels themselves who are such spotless Creatures vail their faces even them thou chargest with folly and if them what mayest thou charge such a sinful wretch as I with Nay Lord the best of my actions they are full of impurity Help me Lord to lay my face in the dust and to confess my uncleanness one of an uncircumcised Heart and Ears that since I could do any thing could sin and since I could sin I could almost do nothing but sin O Lord pardon me for the greatness of my sins is intollerable they are more than I am able to bear Help me to lay them on him who is mighty ●o save No sin O Lord is so great but thy Mercy is greater No sin is too great for thee to pardon Pardon sins of omission and commission actual and original do all away in the Blood of Christ O Lord let not the sinning away of received Mercies prevent future Mercies Pardon my vain and sinful thoughts this night or whatsoever thou hast seen amiss in me and accept my requests O Lord as a Sacrifice in Jesus Christ renew that league my very Dreams have broke and accept my thankfulness for thy prottecting Providence thou might est have made my bed my grave my sleep my death and cut me off from the land of the living but blessed be thy Name thou hast yet made me praise thee in the land of the living praises to thy holy Name Let the Mercies of this night stir me to an holy and close walking with thee all this day let me be actuated by thy Spirit they being only in a right frame to whom thy Sprit is leader and guider Bless my undertakings and let them be for thy Glory through thy Son the Mediator of the New Covenant Jesus Christ the Righteous to him and to thy self for him be praises Amen A Prayer for Thursday Evening MOst Holy Lord and in thy Son our most merciful Father speak to my Soul that I may hear and live that I though but a wilde Olive-branch may be grafted into the true Vine let me no longer be a stranger to the Covenant of Grace O Lord I have been very sinful and rebellious against thy self in all my deportment I have many times sinned against my own knowledge I have sinned against light and against love Pardon all my miscarriages not only this day but all my days O do all away in the blood of Jesus Christ and let me appear in my Elder Brother's Carments invest me with his Righteousness but first of all divest me of my own let thy Grace increase in me but let sin decrease let me grow in Grace as I grow in years and that no day may pass over my head wherein I have not learned something that tends to my Souls health Help me every day to learn something that may tend to the mortifying of some lust for my establishment in the truth and for the direction of my feet in the paths everlasting Pardon me that I have done no more for thee this day that I have redeemed no more time O Lord I might have redeemed more time if I had been wise wherein I might have had more Communion with thy self and might have engaged
thee more to have blessed me in all my Enterprizes Lord help me to redeem time because the days are evil I thank thee for thy care and preserving providence this day As touching those things that have been done amiss in any way or manner this day by me let them not prevent night mercies O deal in Mercy and not in Judgement with me let thy love conceal all my offences As touching this night Let my rest in it be sweet unto me Let every night be as it were a memento of the silent night in the Grave a remembrance of death to put me in mind of my later end Make my rest sweet unto me that being refreshed with moderate rest I may the next morning bless thy name and be ingaged to a more lively activity for God the next day and that for Christs sake Amen A Prayer for Fryday Morning GLorious Lord 't is thy great condescension that thou dost after such a manner afford the priviledge of the means of Grace unto me and that thou doest give me fresh occasions every morning to praise thee and to pray unto thee to thank thee for Mercies received and to beg further supplies of future Mercies O Lord let not my unthankfulness prevent what further blessings thou mayest design for me O I have been very ungrateful unthankful and unkind in that I have expressed my thankfulness no more by an holy humble and a regular walking before thee Pardon that black sin of ingratitude of which I have been too too much guilty by walking contrary to thy Prescriptions and contrary to the Canons and Constitutions of Heaven Pardon that I have done so little for God that I have loved so little whereas God has loved me so much evidenced by his gracious dealings to me-wards O help me to believe and that strongly hope for Heaven more confidently and love thee more servently and bear the Cross more patiently and submissively that thereby I might steer my course more evenly to the New Jerusalem Lord thou hast been very kind unto me thou hast dealt with me in love this night in my preservation and protection in Soul and Body from Spiritual and Corporal Enemies thou hast guarded me by thy special Providence Accept of my thankfulness and grant that my humility and thankfulness may ingage thee to extend more of thy benignity prosperity and ability in the affairs of this life Sanctifie my heart that this day I may act for God as in the presence of God Direct me in the courses not only of this day but all my days that all may be to thy Glory and the comfort of my Soul through Christ Amen A Prayer for Fryday Evening BLessed God it is the great comfort of thy People that at any time thou art pleased in such a condescending manner to let them spread their cases before thee O Lord sure I am Thou never saidst to the Seed of Jacob seek ye my face in vain for so thy word manifests unto us Whereas Lord I dust and clay have rebelled against thee from time to time yet thou art pleased to admit me to come into thy presence and to tell what my wants are and blessed be thy Name thou hast granted a supply and hast encouraged me to come again and hast not dealt with me after the manner of men but hast been pleased many times to grant me the same Mercies that I formerly abused How many days have I spent vainly and yet thou hast given me the enjoyment of more I pray thee pass by my many miscarriages in this very days course O how little have I done for thee how little honour have I brought to thy Name How selfish have I been How unmindful of God have I been How little have I done in order to the making of my Calling and Election sure Lord how shall I escape in the neglecting so many precious opportunities Instead of doing thy will I have followed the dictates of mine own carnal heart and corruption Instead of doing thy will I have done mine own Pardon what is amiss this day and sanctifie this nights Mercy unto me Let thy good Angels keep me let thy Spirit preserve me let my very thoughts be towards thee keep me from vanity from sin that foul destructive enemy and keep me from the Paw of that roaring Lyon Let me acquiesce and rest in thee through thy Son Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for Saturday Morning LOrd God Merciful and Gracious and abundant in Goodness and Truth thou hast been pleased to preserve me with thy special Providence from time to time from day to day and night to night and to keep me under and in all straits in and amidst the vicissitudes of this World of Incumbrances O thou hast dealt bountifully with me Grant that I may not be barren under all that thy Providences may not be silent to me Thou hast said Day unto Day uttereth Wisdom and Night unto Night sheweth Knowledge O teach me by all Let every Mornings Mercy and every Evenings Mercy and every Days Mercy be of much use unto me yea let all Seasons be advantagious to me Let time be improved by me for God for which end all Time was given to Man Lord direct me in all my Affairs this day counsel me in all my Concerns prosper me in all my Designs strengthen me in all my undertakings and grant that as thou renewest my strength by rest and sleep thou also may'st renew me in the spirit of my mind let not my heart be set upon the world as to draw my assections from thee nor let the cares of the world prevent me in the care for my Soul Mortifie all my corruptions in me for me rectifie my Judgment mortifie my Will change my Nature illuminate my Understanding and transform me to the Image of God Grant these and what thou in thy wisdom know'st necessary for me through Christ Jesus Amen A Prayer for Saturday Evening HOly Lord what great cause have I to bless thee that thou hast pleased to preserve me all this week and keep me in the midst of all the vicissitudes of this sickle and unconstant world and admittest me yet again to come before thee by way of duty Grant that I may not look upon it as a Duty only but as a Priviledg and that a great one a Priviledge that many enjoy not And what am I more than they I have been guilty of sins both for quantity and quality it may be that they were never guilty of Opardon me that I can be no more thankful for nor profitable in the enjoyment of the same Work in me Lord a more active frame of spirit that I may bring more honour to thy Name let the fruits of Grace spring more apparently in my life Let thy Word teach me thy Spirit guide and sanctifie me thy Son redeem me thy Power preserve me and thy Providence sustain me Yea let all work together for the best for me Pardon the sins of this
Satan come and catch away the Seed but O that it may be as seed sown in good and honest hearts bringing forth fruit with patience meet for repentance and let it be for the weakning of sin but for the strengthening of faith and grace Let thy Word be as Manna for our poor Souls to feed upon for the week to come that thereby we may grow up in grace as we grow in years Let thy word be a sutable word unto every one of our conditions and come thou into our Souls with it with the freest influence of thy Spirit that we may of a truth meet with God communicating of himself unto us by his Word and Spirit And as the Soul is separated from the Body by Death so let sin be separated from our Souls by thy Word and Spirit O let it be separate from our Souls or else it will separate the Souls of us poor Creatures from God Let thy Minister who is thy Messenger be strengthened and touch his tongue with a coal from thine Altar that he may preach experimental truth to the hearts of us poor Creatures that desire to attend on thine Ordinances O let us taste and see how gracious the Lord is and let us have cause to say It is good to draw nigh to God in his own Ordinances on his own Day And let this day of rest be a certain pledge of an eternal rest purchased by our great high Priest who is preparing a place for his select ones O that this thy day may be spent in the performances of holy duties in praise and thanksgiving the work of thine appointment Unvail some secret this day let us be drawn nigher every day unto thy self Let us be so enlightened that sin may decay and grace may be renewed in us Let us come hungering and thursting after Spiritual Food for our Souls so that in the close of this day we by a grounded experience may say that God has satisfied our hungring Souls with refreshing influences from Heaven thorow the Blood of Jesus Christ in whose words we conclude our imperfect requests as he himself has taught us saying Our Father c. An Evening Prayer for the Sabbath MOst Holy and ever Blessed Lord God who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence fill the Souls of thy poor empty Creatures with the presence of thy Grace and let thy good Spirit bring to our remembrance the truths that we by thy providence have heard this thy day that we may lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives that we may be of those blessed ones that hear thy word and keep it and bring forth fruit in abundance and let it take root in our hearts downward and bring forth fruit upward Establish our Souls in the practice of Holiness without which we can never come to see thy self and let the power of sin be weakened but let Grace be strengthened every day Pardon that unpreparedness that we have intruded into thy presence with and that irreverence whilst under thy Ordinances and that carelesness after that we all have been guilty of Pardon our forgetfulness and pardon our imperfection in the perfection of Christ our weakness in the strength of Christ that thereby we may find acceptance with thee who art all fulness and in whose hands is all perfection Fill our Souls with the fulness of God and let the bedewings of thy Spirit and Word cause us to grow in our spiritual stature Help us to prize the priviledge of the Gospel at an inestimable rate and give us repentance from dead works that we may be changed from darkness unto light and from the power of sin unto God And help us to manifest in our lives and conversation what is the hope of our calling that we may be in Heaven whilst on Earth Pardon the sins of our holy things sins of omission and commission sins against thy Law and sins against thy Gospel Give us Wisdom to direct and teach us Righteousness to establish us Redemption to deliver us from the jaws of Sin and Hell Strengthen our weak Faith enlarge our shallow Capacities quiet our disturbed Consciences tread down Satan under our feet and subjugate our Necks under thy Yoak and help us to resign our selves to thy Will and fit us for Eternity at last that after these Sabbaths be ended here we may begin an everlasting Sabbath with the God of Sabbaths where we shall admire thy self in Christ in whose Name we conclude our imperfect requests in his own words as he hath taught us saying Our Father c. A Prayer for Monday Morning BLessed Lord thou renewest thy mercies every Morning it is of thy mercy that one day more is added to us poor Creatures Thou art he on whom depends our being rest life and all thou has been pleased to cause us to acquiesce in and under thy protection for our refreshment O Lord preserve us this day under the shadow of thy wing and keep us in thy ways and let thy watchful providence be an instigation to an holy walking and to redeem the time seeing the days are evil and to live as ever before the Eye of thy All-seeing Providence Keep us from sin and enable us to live with thankful hearts bearing in mind the acts of thy Spirit and the daily Mercies we enjoy help us to shew a thankfulness for Mercies received and humility for and under Afflictions Let the bitterness of Sin and the loveliness of Holiness make deep impression on the hearts of thy poor Creatures Let the great work of Salvation be much meditated upon that that work daily may be propagated by us with fear and trembling Let union and communion with Christ be our great design Let our Natures be changed Deliver us from a dark understanding and hardness of heart stupid consciences together with unmortisied wills Help us to be wise for the future wherein we have done foolishly and help us wisely to improve our Talents in every opportunity Let thy mercies constrain us to love fear and obey thee Subdue us wholly to thy self that our affections may be elevated from the Earth and transplanted into Heaven Help us in every transaction in our lives to consider that with thee every action is poised and thoughts words and works reviewed and taken notice of O that the affairs of this day and all the week to come may be no obstruction to the work of our immortal Souls And grant that every day that passes over our heads we may be a step nearer to thy self Preserve us by thy Grace and Spirit until it shall be thy will to translate us into that Glory that is prepared for them that wait for the coming of Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for Monday Evening MOst Holy Eternal and ever Blessed Lord God in whom all our springs are it is good to draw nigh to thy self Thou that never slumberest nor sleepest suffer us not to sleep the sleep of Death The Day thou hast
Righteous that we may die the Death of the Righteous Deliver us from a vain and darkned Understanding and from working Uncleanness with greediness Enable us to put off as touching our Conversation the Old man and put on the New Man being renewed in the spirit of our Minds that we may be created after the Image of God in Righteousness and true Holiness Prepare us for another Life and let not one day pass over our heads without some serious meditations of Eternity how soon it may be we cannot tell ere we may launch into its Ocean that bankless Sea and then woe unto us if our Ship be unsound Let these thoughts make us careful about our Souls Help us to use the things of this transitory World but as journey necessaries to a permanent and lasting World but let us be truly desirous of the permanent Riches with an insatiable desire Make us wise Merchants for that durable riches that none can rob us of Now Lord pardon our sins and accept our services in Chrst to whom with thee and thy Eternal Spirit be praises Amen A Prayer for Wednesday Evening GLorious and most Righteous Lord for ever to be admired of all thy Saints thy ways are ways of love and mercy thy daily care to thy people do attest it we are wonderfully engaged to offer thee praise both with hearts and voices Accept of our thanks and praises as well as prayers for an Evening Sacrifice and take charge of us we beseech thee Let us not be disappointed of our hopes Let not Sin nor Sathan molest us in the comforts of this night Let not the sins of the day past provoke thee or prevent us in thy favours to us-ward Let us rest in the assurance of thy favour sealed by thy good Spirit upon our hearts that we be not left comfortless and grant that though our Bodily Eyes be closed with sleep yet let our Spiritual Eyes to wit the Eyes of Faith continually watch Let thy work of Grace begun in us be daily strengthened Let the power of sin decay but the power of Grace revive Enable us to rise with Christ and to seek those things that are above that we may glorifie thee here by finishing the race that is set before us Keep us from abusing or slighting thy Mercies and Judgemnts and watch over us for good Let not our self-flattery prove to us soul-mockery Make us faithful rather than formal in all our duties towards thee Deliver us from worldly mindedness the great enemy to real holiness Give us the grace of humiliation for sin and the spirit of reformation from sin O suffer us not to sin against Mercy lest we lose our best friend O let the service of God which is perfect freedom free us from the service of sin Now unto him that is able to keep us be Glory for ever Amen A Prayer for Thursday Morning HOly and Eternal Glorious Lord God infinite are thy Mercies to us ward thy patience and long suffering are exceeding great in regard of our continued provocations even in our thoughts which are only evil and that continually our words also have been stout against thee nothing but infinite mercy could forbear such wretches blessed be our God that hath laid help yea our help upon one that is mighty to save all those that come unto God by him O whither should such sinners go but to him that hath the Keys of Heli and Death that calls to the weary and heavy laden to come to him and accept of ease and rest O Lord draw us that we may run after thee that we may run the way everlasting the way of thy commands and be followers of that which is good hating the Garments spotted by the Flesh building up our selves in the most holy faith Enable us O our God with all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure adding to our Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity O let these Graces shine and abound in us that we may neither be barren nor unfruitful Give us precious faith in our Lord Jesus who hath washed and quickned us Make us the compleat Workman-ship of Christ Jesus created unto good works Sanctifie us through thy Truth thy Word is Truth and give us that Spirit that may guid us into all Truth Lead us this day and all the rest of our lives by thy Grace and at last bring us to Glory through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen A Prayer for Thursday Evening MOst gracious Lord thou art the great preserver of those that trust in thy Promises and observe thy Precepts Blessed be thy holy Name for this day past that thou hast kept us from the dangers of this day incident to us Blessed be thou Lord for all thy Providence and Provision for Health and Strength Food and Rayment for the present Comforts of this Life and the hopes of a future Let all our sins be pardoned for the sake of our Lord who only is worthy O vouchsafe to continue thy goodness this night that we may receive that refreshment that is for tryed ones Watch over us for good and let a quiet and peaceable rest fit us for our Calling according to thy will Help us to live by Faith and to walk by Faith that we may have that Peace that none can take away Let us die daily to sin and be strengthened daily with all might in the inward man Help us to consider the effects of sin is shame and the wages of sin is death Give us the comforts of our being in Christ that we may beassured that we are freed from condemnation by our christian conversation who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit O let thy Spirit so lead us that it may be our testimony that we are thine Let all that we suffer here be an evidence of that Glory to be revealed in us Let all things work together for the best Let neither tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword be able to prevail against us so as to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ for whom we bless thee and to whom be praises for ever Amen A Prayer for Fryday Morning MOst Holy and most gracious Lord thou art near unto all that call upon thee in truth and fulfillest the desires of those that fear thee Thou art good and dost good thy mercies are over all thy works Blessed be the Lord for his refreshing mercies of the last night Day unto day and night unto night shew forth thy tenderness over us by thy providences and provision O deliver us from all sins and evil for thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory Help us to live blameless with those with whom we have to deal O give us wisdom to remember our later end Let us remember the approaching of