corrupt either the judgments or the manners of Christ's Disciples and by that means to render them more unsit for God's great design in our Redemption but they never offered to overthrow the whole Service of God or to thwart the common practices recommended to them by the well-advised Piety of their Predecessors This strange attempt was reserved for these last and worst Ages of the World and this kind of impiety which could never find entertainment amongst the Primitive Enemies of God and of his Truth hath been greedily embraced by some in these latter days under the usual deceiving pretence of purity and Religion as if they alone were to be esteemed Religious who slander condemn blaspheme and contradict the religious Practices of the rest of Christians as if irregularity and an affected sigularity were the best means to render them acceptable to God in his Worship For that purpose we have seen them to our great grief cast out of the Church all the godly Forms of Prayer which the Wisdom and Piety of former Ages have recommended to us and because they could not spie in them any sufficient cause to condemn and reject them we have seen these over zealous brethren generally exclaim against all Forms as unlawful irreligious and Popish leaving every one to the irregular dictates of their Passion and presumptuous minds A mistake of a most dangerous consequence that opposeth the practice of Christ and of the true Church of God in all Ages since the beginning of the World for if you please to examin Holy Scriptures concerning Forms of Prayer and praising of God especially in the publick worship you shall not find a Church nor Congregation professing the Truth without Set Forms in the first Ages of Mankind it is said when Enos Seth's Son was born and that Men began to increase they began also to call upon the Name of the Lord Cen. 4.26 which words are 〈◊〉 simply to be understood of their addressing themselves to God's Divine Majesty as if before that time neither Adam nor Eve had ever minded to call upon him nor none of their Children for both Cain and Abel had been taught to worship God with the Fruits of their labour and the increase of their Substance which could not be done without calling upon God for a continuance of his Blessings besides it is very unlikely that Adam a Man created in an Estate of Holiness who could not be insensible of our dependency upon and want of God's daily mercies who had seen his wonderful Power in the Creaton of the World should forget to teach his Children to call upon God's Holy Name But these words are to be understood of their calling upon the Holy Name of God in a publick Society and with set and prescribed Forms and in a manner answerable to their condition It is to be understood of solemnizing the publick Service and Worship of God with Prayers Praises and Sacrifices for the obtaining of God's Blessings and the acknowledgments of his favours and protection according to a certain manner appointed by the Religious Persons of those days therefore in the Original the word employed to signifie in this passage calling upon God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to meet together and assemble or from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 publickly to read and declare or cry out because that this calling upon the Name of the Lord of these first Men of the ancient World was performed in their publick meetings wherein there was a Service and ordinary Worship appointed and observed by the distinct reading of Prayers and Praises which infer sufficiently that they had publick places appointed persons in whom the care of Religion was entrusted and a common manner prescribed to them in writing which they were to read in the audience of the People Further it may be worthy of our Observation that the Prophet David when he speaks of calling upon the Name of the Lord in many of his Psalms he useth the same significant word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in that most remarkable Verse of the 116 Psalm and the 13 Verse where he speaks of that Cup of Salvation which was usually taken by the Jews in the publick Sacrifices a Type of our Christian Eucharist I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. This calling signifies meeting together in the publick Worship of God and offering to him reading those Forms of Prayers appointed by the Church For it is the custom of God's Holy Spirit in relating the passages of former times to allude by the expression to the manner and circumstances of those Actions that are mentioned Thus David in the 79th Psalm Verse 6. desires God to send down his Judgments and pour out his Wrath upon the Heathen that have not known him and upon the Kingdoms that have not called upon his Name he makes use of the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived from the same root as if he should say send down thy Judgments upon the Kingdoms which call not upon thee in publick Meetings and where there is no set nor appointed Worship for the Inhabitants to use in glorifying thy Name And in many other Psalms David useth the same Expression which imports a publick Assembly and the reading of the Praises and Prayers in his Divine Worship when he was wont to call upon God This Observation is confirmed by the constant Practice of all the Heathens in the Worship of their Gods Both the Greeks and the Romans had their constant Forms of Prayers and Praises which yet are extant in the Writings of their Poets It seems that they had received this judicious and pious Custom from the first Men of the World And what God's People were accustomed to do to the Honour of the true God these Heathens did commonly practice the same in the service of their false Gods as may be observed by their Hymns and other Ceremonies in their Worship But this religious use of set Forms was in the Jewish Church by the appointment of Moses and of the succeeding Prophets as may be easily proved by the song of Triumph composed by Moses and Miriam Exod. 15. after Pharaoh's overthrow in the Red-Sea The 9th Psalm is a Prayer of Moses by the words and Ceremonies to be used in the eating of the Paschal Lamb by the other Institutions and passages of the Ceremonial Law and chiesly by the Psalms of David which Hezekiah restored in the publick Worship of God for it is said 2 Chron. 29.25 That he set the Levites in the House of the Lord with Cymbals with Psalteries and with Harps according to the Commandment of David and of Gad the King's Seer and Nathan the Prophet Observe what is added in the next words For so was the Commandment of the Lord by his Prophets It seems in the Jewish Church the observing of a prescribed Form was no Human institution but proceeded from
should cause us to set aside all other considerations Now in this case of Prayer here is considerable nay assured and unspeakable Benefits mentioned before arising from thence to our Bodies and our Souls The prosperity the Health the Riches the Honours Blessings and the very breath of the former with all other Temporal things relating to its good are in the Hands and at the disposal of our God they proceed from his Bounty and are commonly obtain'd by our zealous Prayer for God an unchangeable Truth hath promised in his holy Word to have a special regard to the Prayer of the Destitute to hear the groaning of the Prisoner to loose them that are appointed to Death That he will cause him that asketh to receive he that seeketh from him his Necessities shall find them in due time That he will grant whatsoever we ask in Christ's name That he will hear the Prayers of all Flesh and perform their desires That he will open the Treasuries of his Mercies to such as call upon his Name and grant them their requests In a word God promiseth that he will freely bestow upon us all those earthly advantages which Men so highly esteem and stand in need of in consideration of our devout and Constant Prayer together with the more lasting and more excellent Riches of the Soul Psalm 102.17 Luke 11.9 John 14.13 Psal 65.2 Jer. 29.12 and Jer. 33.3 Zech. 13.9 If some prophane Varlets that contemn God and Religion and neglect this Duty nevertheless seem to be so happy as to be loaden with these Temporal Blessings they enjoy them not with that deliciousness and content as a praying Soul That which to the latter is a real Benefit proves a present Curse to the former and an aggravation and the fâ—wel of their Vices Neither can they find that sweetness in good which naturally it yields and a good Christian tastes partly because the fears and apprehensiens which commonly attend upon a disorderly behaviour with the gripings of an awaken'd Conscience sour and poison all the Mercies of Heaven and partly because the secret Curse that accompanies the Wicked in the neglect of their Duty to God changes the very nature of the greatest Blessings Let therefore the Care Diligence and Frugality of our Fore-fathers make never so much provision for us Let God's Providence put into our hands a plentiful Estate Honours Power and Authority as soon as we are born Prayer is as needful in such a Condition as if we were daily to expect the continual Supplies of God's Bounty to entertain our beings as if we had no such assurance of a livelihood in the World Humane Greatness if not supported and animated by Goodness and Piety is like those unweildy Bodies the sooner brought to ruine for want of Vital Spirits required to keep them in motion and preserve them from the encroachings of the Diseases unto which their grossness and fatness are inclinable Worldly promotion can never be well maintain'd and continued but by that Providence from whence it first proceeds Reason as well as Religion obligeth us to seek from God's mercy the preservation of those Stores of good things which he hath bountifully bestowed upon us seeing that without it they must needs decay and shrink away to nothing Think not thy self O Man less indebted to thy God because he hath given thee by whole Sale all the Riches of the Earth which he distributes to others but by retail and that therefore thou dependest not so much upon his Power and needest not so much his continual assistance as others of the lowest rank of Men. Sooner may the Moon and glittering Stars yield their light and comfortable Influences without the Aspect of the Sun sooner may the Earth bring forth its variety of Creatures without the Celestial Globes than that Man tho' never so Rich and Powerful should subsist without his God When therefore Solomon the wisest of all the Kings of Israel built the famous Temple of Jerusalem he placed the King's Bed-Chamber near to God's Sanctuary and caused a door to lead into it whereof the Key was transmitted with the Crown and Scepter of Israel and always in the King's possession that this might mind him of his dependency upon his God and to seek from him those Blessings and the protection that he continually wanted in that lofty Station of Honour If therefore our Subsistance the preservation of our Estates in the highest degree of Power and the continual assistance of our God needful in the greatest abundance proceed from his bountiful hand and are obtainable by and promised to our Prayers should not this oblige us to draw near with Humility to the Throne of God's Grace to offer up this cheap Sacrifice always ready and at hand so acceptable to our good God I confess he is acquainted with our indigencies and his infinite knowledge needs not be informed of the things that we want in the World for he knows our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking He understands our most bosom thoughts He sees and foresees what is most useful both for our Souls and Bodies Tho' this Consideration may seem to render our Prayers frivolous and not so needful as if God were ignorant of our Wants Yet Christ and his Holy Apostles require and advise us both by their Examples and Commands to lay open our Necessities in Prayer to our gracious God and Nature it self calls upon us to seek from him a supply to our daily Wants For we must not look upon Prayer as a simple information of our desires and estate but as an open acknowledgement of God's Liberality and Riches not as an increase to his knowledge which is in it self Infinite and can admit no augmentation but as a means appointed by his Wisdom to increase and augment our happiness Neither must we look upon Prayer as an obligation laid upon God to commiserate our poor Condition but as a nâ—â—hod to dispose and render us fit to receive the Mercies of Heaven and as that unto which God's promises of Earthly and Spiritual Blessings are annexed Which the divine Wisdom hath so much the more cause to encourage and we sinful Men to practice because it is the most agreeable to God's magnificence and unlimited Bounty and to Man's weakness and poverty Because it is the most excellent Armour to strengthen us against the assaults of worldly Casualties the safest shelter where we may retreat when pursued by Storms and Tempests The best Pourveyor to procure us all things needful for our maintenance and beings And because it is the readiest means to entertain and increase that familiarity with our God which must of necessity precede that Eternal Union and Communion with him which we shall enjoy in the Estate of Glory God will have us draw nearer to him by degrees and not leap from our vile Fellowship with Sin and the World into an immediate fruition of his unspeakable Bliss As there is a vast distance between these
we may so pass through things Temporal that we finally lose not the things Eternal for Jesus Christ his sake our Lord. Amen GRant O Lord we beseech thee that the Course of this World may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance that we and thy whole Church may joyfully serve thee in all Godly quietness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen LOrd of all Power and might who art the Author and giver of all good things Graft in our Hearts the love of thy Name increase in us true Religion nourish us with all goodness and of thy great Mercy keep us in the same through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Merciful God bless and preserve we pray thee our Princes defend them from all their Enemies direct them in all their Counsels assist them in all their religious purposes grant them and the Church amongst us peace and prosperity in this Life and everlasting Happiness in the life to come Bless all the Royal Family the Nobility the Magistrates the Gentry and People of this Land Grant us Peaâ—e and Truth and preserve us from Heresie Schism Superstition and Idolatry for Jesus Christ his sake Amen OUR Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our Trespasses as wâ— forgive them that Trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from all Evil. For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen THe Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen Another Morning Prayer for a Family when Business is most urgent TUrn thy Face away from our sins O Lord and blot out all our Offences Make us clean Hearts O God and renew right Spirits within us Ps 51. Almighty and Everlasting God mercifullly look upon our Infirmities and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy Right Hand to help and defend us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O God whose Blessed Son was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil and make us the Sons of God and Heirs of Eternal Life Grant us we beseech thee that having this Hope we may purifie our selves as he is pure that we may walk in newness of life and follow the Examples of his Patience Piety and Holiness that when he shall appear with Power and Glory we may be made like unto him in his glorious Kingdom Amen O Lord be merciful to us and our Nation bless the King's Majesty and our Queen with Life and happiness their Counsellors with Wisdom their Armies with Victory their Subjects with Peace and Prosperity Bless the Nobility the Clergy and Commonalty in their goings out and comings in Bless us we beseech thee and all our Relations with Spiritual and Temporal Mercies And all these Blessings we beg for Jesus Christ his sake in whose perfect Form of Prayer we sum up all our desires as he hath taught us OUr Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this Day our daily Bread And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from all Evil. For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen THe Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the Love of God the Father and the Fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all Amen Another Morning PRAYER for a Family O Gracious God the Creator and Protector of Mankind whose continued goodness we have lately experienced in the safety and preservation of the last Night We bless thy Holy Name for this and all other expressions of thy Mercy to us we acknowledge that as thou art the Author of our Beings it is thy good Providence that maintains and defends them from all dangers and Enemies that incompass us about It is thy watchful Eye that sees all their contrivances to destroy us It is thy Wisdom that knows how to defeat their Craftiest purposes It is thy Power alone that can disappoint and oppose their wicked and hellish Plots We are not ignorant O Lord of their malice and our continual dangers dangers that proceed from the contrivances of Spiritual and Temporal Enemies we desire therefore to be heartily thankful for we are really sensible of thy merciful protection hitherto and to ascribe all the Honour and Praise of our preservation and deliverance to thy Wisdom and Providence alone But O merciful Father let this expression of thy goodness the foundation of all thy Blessings be still continued to us we are sensible of our undeservings our sins and wickednesses are multiplied our provocations and ingratitudes have been many our many deficien ies in all our Duties might justly cause thee to leave us to our selves for the future and expose us naked to the subtilties and power of our Enemies who would quickly devour us But we implore thy mercy at this time and intreat thee to forgive us our Trespasses to pardon our Infirmities and to pass by all our Transgressions for the Lord Jesus his sake In his Name and through his Merits we approach with all humility to the throne of thy grace to beg the forgiveness of all our Iniquities and the continuance of thy protection and Mercies Temporal and Spiritual How weak are we of our selves How soon cast into our Graves and what is Man that he should be able to defend us when the least blast deprives him of Life and Being Thou art therefore and thou alone O great God of Heaven thou art only able to defend us in the following course of our Life from visible and invisible perils Let thy Mercy be continued to us shelter us from the malicious designs of all our Enemies frustrate their wicked purposes lead us in all our ways direct us in all our paths bless us in all our undertakings we live in a crooked Generation in a world that overflows with sin and wickedness and our Conversation is amongst evil-doers let therefore thy Wisdom and thy fear so possess our Souls that we may not be drawn away by the Vices of the Age nor intangled in such Labryinths of Sin as might indanger our eternal welfare Suffer us not to be inticed with the allurements of unlawful Pleasure and Profit We trust not to our selves O Lord and our own frail resolutions because we have broken them so often that we have cause to mistrust our selves and to rely chiefly upon thy merciful guidance Let thy Truth direct us and thy Spirit lead us as well as thy Power protect us from the invasion of Error and Vice give us a right understanding of thy Will an unchangeable resolution to practise it suffer us not to be drawn aside neither by fear nor by profit from the
bounds to the rage of our Enemies and let all thy proceedings towards us make a sincere Reformation in the Land Deprive us not for every of the Comfort of thy Word and Ordinances but protect this thy Church from the incroachings of Schism and Idolatry Be merciful O Lord to our King defend his Person from all his Enemies and let not their wicked Designs prosper against him but give Wisdom to his Counsellors Success to his Undertakings Victory to his Armies Grace and Fidelity to his Officers Truth and Loyalty to all his Subjects and Health and long Life to his Majesty Be gracious to all his Relations make them Examples of Piety and Godliness discoverr to them the truth of thy Gospel and give them all Grace to employ their Credit and Authority in promoting thy Glory and incouraging thy true Religion against Error and Vice amongst us Give us a Learned and Religious Clergy a Wise and Pious Nobility a sound and Vertuous Gentry and let all such as are in any Offices of Trust remember their Duty to thee O God their Obligations to their Prince and his Subjects and act with that Faithfulness and Integrity that they may discharge a good Conscience and approve themselves before thee as well as before Man Be gracious to all Nations send them the light of thy Gospel banish from them all Mists of Error and Heresie pacifie the Tumults of the World and give them grace to acknowledge thee the true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent to be the Universal Saviour These and all other Mercies for them and thy whole Church I humbly beg for his sake and Merits who is dead risen again and sits at thy Right hand to make intercession for us OUR Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this Day our daily Bread and forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from all Evil. For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen Let thy Grace thy Power and thy Truth preserve and accompany me all the days of my Life A Morning Prayer for a young Person O Heavenly Father my great Creator and Protector thy Holy Name be praised for all thy Mercies chiefly for the quiet rest of the last Night At every moment I feel the expressions of thy goodness thou ceasest not to shew me some tokens of thy Liberality since thou hast given me this Being O merciful God how great and many are thy Mercies to me in these few Minutes that I have spent in the World I perceive that thou art the inexhaustible Fountain of all good and the boundless Ocean of all perfections To thy Divine Majesty therefore I make my Address to supply the daily necessities of this weak Body and sinful Soul which proceed from thee Forgive I beseech thee O my God the mistakes and frailties of my youth As I am sensible of my frequent miscarriages cause me also to be sensible of thy Mercy and Pardon I am entered into the World in a state of imperfection I carry about me strong Inclinations to Sin and the breach of thy Sacred Laws which I cannot shake off in a moment but gracious God blot out all mine Iniquities and assist with thy Divine Spirit the pious Resolutions and Religious temper of my Soul Thou hast promised not to quench the Smoaking Flax nor break the bruised Reed not to cast away a Creature for some imperfections but to encourage the hopeful beginnings of Piety in Man Perform this thy Promise O my God in my sinful Soul increase what is good rectifie what is amiss sanctifie and purifie this inner part of my self from all the fleshly Pollutions that I may be guilty of enlighten my Understanding with a right knowledge of thy Will and Word give me thy heavenly Wisdom and a clear apprehension of those things thou requirest from my Faith and Practice Suffer me not to be carried away by the inticements of Heresie and Error but as thou hast caused me to be born and initiated by Baptism into the profession of thy true Religion give me grace to resist all the Temptations that may endeavour to draw me from it and to continue in it to the last moment of my days Sanctifie my Will and Affections more and more keep me from the Infectious air of wicked Company and vitious Conversation suffer me not to be carried away with the Vices of the Age but strengthen my Resolutions in thy Faith and Fear grant me that discretion and prudence that I may perceive the Snares laid for me and know how to shun and avoid them that I may lead an innocent harmless and righteous Life keep me out of the Labyrinths of sin and wickedness in which many are insensibly intangled and as my great Task in the World is to serve thee inable and assist me in the Prosecution of that design make me to see the Vanity of the World and all Worldly advantages that my inexperienced Soul may not be bewitched with any deceitful enjoyments but that I may settle my affections upon thee my God and live continually in expectation of my approaching Change and of the immortal Possessions where true Joys are to be found I beseech thee also Merciful Father to send and continue to me all things needful for my weak Body grant me Life and Health that I may glorifie thee on this side the Grave as thou wilt glorifie me on the other side Enable me to serve my Generation and to do good in the World that I may not be said to live in vain Increase my Gifts and Talents and thy Temporal Blessings and give me a Heart to dispose of them according to thy Will Preserve me from all dangers and Enemies suffer them not to prevail upon me but limit their malice and rage I trust upon thy Power and Protection let me have the experience of it at every step that I shall make and accompany all my endeavours and actions with success and blessing Strengthen my Soul with a reliance upon thee and a submission to thy Will in all things prepare me to bear the Crosses that thou wilt lay upon me and assist me through the troubles of the World by thy divine Spirit imprint thy fear in my tender Soul give me a sense of thy all-seeing Eye and infinite Presence that I may dread thy justice and Power as well as I love thy Mercy and goodness and be kept from any extravagancies of Life that I may walk continually as in thy presence and in expectation either of Rewards or Punishments according to my actions Grant me I beseech thee O overflowing Goodness all the conveniencies of this Life sanctifie what thou hast already given and make me useful and a Comfort to all my Relations Be merciful to them also I pray thee protect preserve and
and miscarriages of our Lives and to bewail the linfulness of our Natures Our Iniquities are many and our Transgressions are multiplyed every day We feel within us a forward inclination to that which is unlawful we carry about us a Body of Sin and the least Temptation draws us aside from thy holy Ways How negligent have we been of thy Commands How vitious in our Lives How careless in our Duties How unthankful for all thy Mercies We can give no account of the number of our mistakes for they are numberless Therefore we humble our selves before thee in a deep sense of our own sinfulness and unworthiness we cast away all confidence and reliance upon our own Merits But we come to thee with a Confidence upon Christ's Merits trusting upon his promises and gracious invitations For his sake O merciful Father forgive us all our Trespasses magnifie thy Divine goodness by the pardon of our great and hainous Offences Look upon the Atonement made for us and in consideration of the precious Blood of our great Saviour spilt for our Redemption accept of our Persons and Prayers at this time Take not away from us only the guilt but also the Corruption of Sin that we may not continue in our Provocations against thy Divine Majesty As thou hast given us a sense of our Ignorance and Weakness give us the proper Remedies to these two Evils enlighten our Understandings more and more with thy Blessed Truth purifie our Wills from all unregenerate affections sanctifie and change the whole frame of our Souls according to thy revealed Will. For that purpose grant us we beseech thee good God an increase of all our Graces give life and growth to these Seeds of Holiness and Immortality strengthen the Interest of Piety in every one of us with a holy dread of thy Power and Justice and a blessed Love for thee our God who only art lovely Open our Eyes that we may perceive the Beauty and Excellency of Vertue and the filthiness and danger of those sins we have been most inclinable to practise Let the woful circumstances of our Bosom Lusts visible by our own experience and others Examples reclaim us betimes to an Obedience to thy Sacred Laws make us truly sensible both of the shame that attends upon Sin and of the misery that consequently follows it that we may begin the great Work of Repentance betimes and vigorously prosecute it till we have brought under all our irregular inclinations which are so imperious in the Children of disobedience Make us clean Hearts O God and renew a right Spirit within us Purifie our sins from all Infection from all Evil Thoughts wicked Affections and sinful designs above all keep us from the reigning sin of Hypocrisie that we may be sincere in our Profession and that we may not deceive our selves by thinking to deceive others As our great business on this side the Grave is to serve thee our great Creator and prepare our selves for Eternity assist us mercifully in our endeavours relating thereunto direct comfort and succour us against all Temptations give us Hearts and Lives that we may adorn the Gospel of our Saviour Christ Let neither the inticements of Sin nor the suggestions of the Devil nor the allurements and Vanities of the World draw us away from thee our good God nor from the Profession of thy sacred Truth Keep us from evil Examples and wicked Company and Perswasions and from the Corruptions of the time As thou hast been gracious to our Forefathers in this Land in preserving them and their Religion from all bloody designs and attempts continue thy protection to us their Children Preserve thy Gospel in this Nation defend us from Heresie Idolatry and Schism Unite us all in love and affection one towards another and in conformity to thy Will in all things Remove the differences and prejudices that are amongst us that we may embrace one another as Bretheren designed for the same Happiness sanctified by the same Spirit and redeemed by the same Christ O gracious God watch over us we beseech thee let not the Craft and Power of our Bloody Adversaries prevail or overcome the Professors of thy Gospel Defeat all their wicked endeavours against our Prince and his People and discover and disappoint all their Plots Let Religion and Truth flourish in our days and keep us all from Prophaneness and Error Send thy Blessings to this Family here humbled before thee and to every member of it As thou hast received us into thy Protection grant us a continuance of it this Night especially Let the Eye of thy Providence be awake over us to shelter and preserve us when we shall be asleep Keep us all from fearful Dreams and Apprehensions and sinful Fancies Let nothing injure either our Souls or our Bodies bring us safe through the shadows of the Night to behold the Glory of another day and feel again the manifold expressions of thy great goodness to us O Lord we depend upon and trust only in thee Thou alone hast been the Saviour of our Persons that belong to thee defend them we beseech thee from the malice of the Devils and the attempts of Bloody-minded Men and from all accidents and dangers whatsoever that we may yet live to praise and glorifie thee here on Earth and do service to our Generation Send thy Blessing to all Princes and Magistrates especially to our King and Queen and all Governours under them in Church or State preserve them from all Rebellious Designs and Attempts of our Enemies and give them grace to employ their Credit Power and Authority in the maintenance of thy Truth and Honour and in the suppression of Atheism Vice Prophaneness and whatsoever agrees not with sound Doctrine Give success to their pious endeavours Victory to our Fleets and Armies Life and safety to all the Noble Souls that watch over us or fight for us Disappoint all the Wicked designs of Antichrist scatter and subdue all his Bloody Agents and let thy Gospel and will be known to all the Nations under the Sun These and all other Mercies convenient for our Souls and Bodies we humbly beg for the sake and Merits of that immaculate Lamb who is dead for us and now makes intercession at thy right hand and we conclude these our imperfect Prayers with this most perfect Form OUR Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this Day our daily Bread And forgive us our Tespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from Evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen THE Peace of God which passeth all Understanding preserve our Hearts and Minds in the Knowledge and Love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The Blessing of God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen An
Neighbours are in want Hast thou sent this plenty for me alone Is it not that I should praise thee in the use of so much as is needful for my self and Attendants and that I should distribute the rest to such as are in need I will imitate this thy Liberality my good God and be a faithful Steward of these inferior Mercies But this Food of my Body minds me of that of my Soul I have another more Spiritual and Divine Being that I must feed and cloath Gracious God forget not that Immortal and better part of my self but nourish it with Wisdom and Truth that I may grow in Grace and in the knowledge of thee my God Remove not the Candlestick of thy Gospel from us suffer not Schism and Idolatry to prevail and smother thy true Religion in their horrid Abominations but let Truth and Innocency overcome at last maugre the furious attempts of Men and Devils feed this precious Soul with that Bread which comes down from Heaven increase in me all Virtue and Goodness and preserve both my Soul and Body to thine Eternal Kingdom Amen Another Prayer before meat for a Child GOOD God bless me and these Creatures that we are to receive that in a moderate use of them we may be enabled to serve and glorifie thee on Earth through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Useful Meditations AND PRAYERS Upon GOD and his DIVINE ATTRIBUTES A Meditation and Prayer upon the Incomprehensible Being and Presence of God O Adorable Majesty Being of Beings Creator and Supporter of this Great World How wonderful must be the source of all these visible Wonders How glorious the chief Lord of so large an Empire and of so many differing sorts of Creatures that fill all the Elements and every Corner We are sensible of thine infinite Presence yet can conceive no shape nor being like thy Divine Majesty The Pictures of all thy Perfections are scattered and represented in every thing that is made and thou hast left an impression of thy Wisdom and Power in every part of this large World yet none can represent thee O great God as thou art We see fell and are perfectly sensible of thy Divine Footsteps left upon every Creature yet our weak apprehensions cannot entertain any Idea that may answer thy Greatness O Spirit of Spirits how is it possible that so weak a Creature as I am who can understand nothing but by the Ministry of these weak Senses should be able to comprehend the infinite and incomprehensible God whose glorious Presence dazles the Eyes and surpasses the Understandings of the perfectest and noblest Creatures that are above O my God fill my Soul with an holy dread of thy greatness and Power Suffer me not to receive any base impression or filly Imagination of thy Divine Being and as thou art Incomprehensible let me not presume to form in my mind any Image nor to have before mine Eyes any Picture with a design to represent thee Let thine Universal Presence be always present with me but in such a manner as I may not be guilty of Spiritual Idolatry or of harbouring any mean thought of thy Glory O merciful God thou requirest these Services from us poor Creatures and hast promised thine assistance to us in time of need put therefore my Soul into an Holy Temper fit for thine acceptance and let these Ejaculations and Emissions of my Heart and Mind proceed from an Humility and Fear of thy presence that they may not be unworthy of thy Grace and Favour And the nearer I approach unto thy Mercy-Seat vouchsafe to look upon the necessities of my Soul and Body and grant me those Requests that thou O my God in thine infinite Wisdom knowest most needful for me for the sake and by the mediation of my Great Saviour whose intercession for me I humbly implore Amen A Meditation and Prayer upon the Immutability of our Great God O Unchangeable Being the Author of all these changeable things that appear before our Eyes Thou art that immutable God upon whom we may safely depend Every thing that thou hast made directs our Eyes and Contemplations to thee as the surest foundation of all our hopes and expectations and the nearer the Creatures have the Honour to approach thy glorious Throne the more they are fixed and secured by their Rights of Creation from all Unconstancy and Mutability This wide World and all Sublunary things are unsetled and rowling from one State to another tumbled and tossed changed by many Accidents so that we cannot rest nor settle our expectations upon them But the Heavenly Globes continue since their first make unchangeable through so many Revolutions of Ages tho' they also for the sin of Man shall suffer an alteration by thine overruling Power But those Spiritual Beings that inhabit beyond and above our Prospect are yet less subject to mutation all their Perfections proceed from thine overflowing abundance Thou only O my God art the Creator and Benefactor of their Immortal Natures They are all subject to some weakness and are circumscribed and limited but thou alone art the unlimited and unchangeable God always enjoying an happiness never to be obscured or lessened by the most violent endeavours of all thine Enemies Thou art always continuing in that Glorious state that nothing can possibly Eclipse Thou art immutable in thy self immutable in thy Designs and Resolutions immutable in thy Promises and Truth and immutable in all thy Divine Perfections O my God give me grace that I may settle upon thee my Faith and hope and rest upon thee alone for all my present and future advantages I have no other Rock to build upon but thy Power and Mercy no other Truth to trust to but thy revealed Word O that I may embrace it with that immutable Resolution that may admit of nothing contrary to the same that my Soul may be fixed only upon thee my good God and look with contempt upon all other Objects Amen A Meditation and Prayer upon the Eternity of God O Eternal and Everlasting God before the Heavens and the Earth before the Sun and all the rest of the Luminaries that are above had a Being thou didst subsist of thy self in a full enjoyment of an unchangeable Felicity From all Eternity to all Eternity thou art the same glorious and Incomprehensible Being who never fails them that seek thee in Spirit and in Truth Let the World change and alter and the Generations of Creatures succeed one another in their appointed times Let all inferior things rowle and pass away Let them have their beginnings their growth perfections and decay thou art the same and Eternal God who never had any beginning nor never can have any end Thou alone art that independent Majesty upon whom all other things lean and from whom they expect the Supplies and Recruits to their decaying and failing Natures Thou art the first Source and Spring of all Motion and Power O my God thou hast granted to my Soul and Spirit
thee for ever and ever Come Lord Jesus come quickly receive me into thy Sacred Embraces I will wait thy leisure send thine Holy Angels to convey my Soul into thy gracious presence that I may rejoyce for ever with thine Elect and glorifie thy Mercy Ease me of my grievous pains relieve my sorrowful Soul comfort it with a Beam of thy Countenance Thou hast redeemed it O my sweet Jesus receive it as thine own purchase I yield it up unto thee Turn my sorrows into joys my sufferings and agony into pleasures laid up at thy right hand Assist me with thine intercession and plead for me O my Heavenly Advocate Amen A Meditation and Prayer for such as are going to the Publick Assemblies to hear the word of God O Eternal Wisdom what a mercy is this to Instruct and Teach us at our Doors to enable enlighten inspire and send Messengers so near our Dwellings to direct us in the right way of Eternal Happiness What a condescention is this to speak to us in our own Language according to our Capacities by Men whose presence express nothing but meekness and love was it not sufficient O blessed God that thou shouldest open to us the large Book of Nature to inform us of thy Will and Sacred Laws by so many Characters imprinted in every thing that is made was it not sufficient for our Learning to shew us thy pleasure in the several leaves of another Book of Providence opened to us wide every day of our Life but must thy tender compassion of our Natural ignorance unmindfulness and wilful corruption teach us by such plain easie and excellent methods so full of kindness and love Must the repetition be so frequent must thou so often visit and call upon us to study and meditate upon the Divine Matters Certainly our minds are too much wedded to the World and too much enclined to irregular actions seeing thou hast judged needful to repeat so often to us our Duties and we want every weeks instruction to withdraw our contemplation from Evil and Vanity Should not our diligence answer in some respect thy continual Care O Merciful Wisdom and as frequently meet thee as we are called upon by these Publick Summons Doubtless the business that we are to mind is of importance seeing my Creator thinks necessary to interpose his Divine Authority and to speak to us himself though by the tongue of a Mortal Man With what reverence and dread ought I to approach the gracious presence of my God who vouchsafes to speak and instruct me in such a loving manner His Word and Laws should not in reason have the less power and impression upon me because of his condescention to my weakness and Capacity Should I despise the mercies of my God that are so great and wonderful delivered to me in earthen vessels O Blessed and Heavenly Wisdom I am called away from my Temporal Affairs to wait upon thee and hearken to the Divine Matters that shall be proposed which relate to my Eternal Interest Their excellency requires my attention and diligent enquiry for this supernatural knowledge which is able to save my Soul Here thou dost reveal unto me what I am and what I should be and what I shall be Here are discovered the admirable Mysteries of the Holy Trinity and Unity of the Incarnation and Redemption Here thou dost unbosome thy self to mortal Creatures and shewest the tenderness of thine affection to us Here I may have a prospect of the unspeakable riches of Heaven and see the Glories that are laid up for me in thine Eternal Sanctuary These are Matters worthy of the Angels prying into these are Meditations fit for the Heavenly Spirits and shall I neglect or despise them shall I idle away this precious moment designed for the benefit of mine immortal Soul My gracious God cause me to increase in Grace and in the Divine knowledge of my Redemption enlighten mine Understanding with a clear apprehension of the Heavenly Truths Sanctifie the outward preaching of thy word that it may be effectual and able to work upon my will Give me an attentive ear and an obedient heart willing to submit to and practise whatsoever thou shalt command Deliver me from the ill consequences of Errors Partiality and Prejudice and make me truly thankful to thee for this great Blessing Remove not thy Gospel from us but save us from the pernicious Plots of the Antichristian Heresie Unite all of us in our Worship and Church that we may study to preserve the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace And being all together united now in the Church Militant we may be all the more ready and prepared to enter in due time into the Church Triumphant into that Glorious Kingdom of Love and Peace where our Sanctification shall be compleated our Knowledge perfected and our Employment for ever shall be to Celebrate and Sing forth thy Praises with the Chorus of Heavenly Spirits Amen A Prayer for Souldiers before a Fight O Lord of Hosts Creator and Preserver of the World look upon us in mercy at this time that we are going to hazard our Lives for the Honour an Interest of our King and Kingdom and for the Glory of thy Name and the Preservation of thy true Religion amongst us We are confident in the Justice and Equity of our Cause against these disturbers of the peace and happiness of Mankind Good God assist us with Victory and Success strengthen our Courages give us Undaunted Spirits stand by thine own Cause and such as Fight for the Preservation of thy Church and Kingdom We trust not upon our selves nor upon our numbers and resolutions but upon thy Providence and Celestial Vertue which we beseech thee to send unto us in the midst of danger suffering us not to betray the trust repose in us by any weakness or fear we know that thine Almighty hand and all-seeing eye disposes of all things and that no violence can hurt us without thy Commission O Merciful God let our Lives be precious in thy sight preserve our Persons from the violence of the shot and sharpness of the Enemies Weapons that we may yet live to praise thee and serve thee in our Generations in that station of Life unto which we are called We trust it is not unpleasing to thee who vouchsafest to be named the God of Armies and seeing the necessity of the Kingdom unto which we belong requires it Bless us therefore we pray thee O merciful Saviour in these our undertakings assist our General and Officers with Wisdom and Skill and all of us with an undaunted Spirit and entire dependance upon thy will and disposal Whatever happens to these Bodies of Clay which we are willing to Sacrifice for thy Glory look in mercy upon our precious Souls pardon and forgive the former weaknesses of our lives accept of the blood of our Surety and Redeemer for us and for his sake receive our immortal Beings into thy favour and Celestial