his soul thither And for this sort of devotion no man can want leisure for it may be performed in the midst of business the Artificer at his work the Husband man at his Plough may practice it Now as he cannot want time so that he may not want matter for it I have thought it not unuseful out of that rich store-house the BOOK of PSALMS to furnish him with some texts which may very fitly be used for this purpose which being learned by heart will alwayes be ready at hand to imploy his devotion and the matter of them being various some for Pardon of sin some for Grace some for the light of Gods countenance some for the Church some for Thanksgiving c. every man may fit himself according to the present need and temper of his soul I have given these not as a full collection but only as a taste by which the Readers appetite may be raised to search after more in that Book and other parts of holy Scripture COLLECTS for several GRACES For Faith O Blessed Lord whom without Faith it is impossible to please let thy spirit I beseech thee work in me such a Faith as may be acceptable in thy sight even such as worketh by love O let me not rest in a dead ineffectual Faith but grant that it may be such as may shew it self by my works that it may be that victorious Faith which may enable me to overcome the world and conform me to the Image of that Christ on whom I believe that so at the last I may receive the end of my Faith even the salvation of my soul by the same Jesus Christ For Hope O Lord who art the hope of all the ends of the earth let me never be destitute of a well grounded hope nor yet possest with a vain presumption suffer me not to think thou wilt either be reconciled to my sins or reject my repentance but give me I beseech thee such a hope as may be answerable to the only ground of hope thy promises and such as may both incourage and enable me to purifie my self from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit that so it may indeed become to me an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast entring even within the vail whither the forerunner is for me entred even Jesus Christ my High Priest and blessed Redeemer For the Love of God O Holy and gracious Lord who art infinitely excellent in thy self and infinitely bountiful and compassionate towards me I beseech thee suffer not my heart to be so hardned through the deceitfulness of sin as to resist such charms of love but let them make deep and lasting impressions on my soul Lord thou art pleased to require my heart and thou only hast right to it O let me not be so sacrilegiously unjust as to alienate any part of it but enable me to render it up whole and intire to thee But O my God thou seest it is alreadie usurped the world with its vanities hath seized it and like a strong man armed keeps possession O thou who art stronger come upon him and take this unworthy heart of mine as thine own spoil refine it with that purifying fire of thy love that it may be a fit habitation for thy Spirit Lord if thou see it fit be pleased to let me taste of those joyes those ravishments of thy love wherewith thy Saints have been so transported But if in this I know not what I ask if I may not chuse my place in thy Kingdome yet O Lord denie me not to drink of thy cup let me have such a sinceritie and degree of love as may make me endure any thing for thy sake such a perfect love as may cast out all fear and all sloth too that nothing may seem to me too grievous to suffer or too difficult to do in obedience to thee that so expressing my love by keeping thy Commandments I may by thy mercie at last obtain that Crown of life which thou hast promised to those that love thee through Jesus Christ our Lord For Sincerity O Holy Lord who requirest truth in the inward parts I humbly beseech thee to purge me from all hypocrisie and unsinceritie The heart O Lord is deceitful above all things and my heart is deceitful above all hearts O thou who searchest the heart and reins try me and seek the ground of my heart and suffer not any accursed thing to lurk within me but purifie me even with fire so thou consume my dross O Lord I cannot deceive thee but I may most easily deceive my self I beseech thee let me not rest in any such deceit but bring me to a sight and hatred of my most hidden corruptions that I may not cherish any darling lust but make an utter destruction of everie Amalekite O suffer me not to speak peace to my self when there is no peace but grant I may judge of my self as thou judgest of me that I may never be at peace with my self till I am at perfect peace with thee and by puritie of heart be qualified to see thee in thy Kingdome through Jesus Christ For devotion in Prayer O Gracious Lord God who not only permittest but invitest us miserable and needie creatures to present our petitions to thee grant I beseech thee that the frequencie of my prayer may be somewhat proportionable to those continual needs I have of thy mercie Lord I confess it is the greatest honour and greatest advantage thus to be allowed access to thee yet so sottish and stupid is my profane heart that it shuns or frustrates the opportunities of it My Soul O Lord is possest with a spirit of infirmitie it is bowed together and can in no wise lift up it self to thee O be thou pleased to cure this sad this miserable disease to inspirit and enliven this earthly drossie heart that it may freely mount towards thee that I may set a true value on this most valuable priviledge and take delight in approaching to thee and that my approaches may be with a reverence some way answerable to that awful Majestie I come before with an importunitie and earnestness answerable to those pressing wants I have to be supplied and with such a fixedness and attention of mind as no wandring thoughts may interrupt that I may no more incur the guilt of drawing near to thee with my lips when my heart is far from thee or have my prayers turned into sin but may so ask that I may receive seek that I may find knock that it may be opened unto me that from praying to thee here I may be translated to the praising thee eternally in thy glorie through the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ For Humility O Thou High and Loftie one that inhabitest Eternitie yet art pleased to dwell with the humble spirit pour into my heart I beseech thee that excellent grace of Humilitie which may utterly work out all those vain conceits I have of my self
there but enable me I beseech thee to keep both body and soul pure and undefiled that so I may glorifie thee here both in body spirit be glorified in both with thee hereafter For Temperance O Gracious Lord who hast in thy bountie to mankind afforded us the use of thy good creatures for our corporal refreshment grant that I may always use this liberty with thankfulness and moderation O let me never be so enslaved to that bruitish pleasure of taste that my Table become a snare to me but give me I beseech thee a perfect abhorrence of all degrees of excess and let me eat and drink only for those ends and according to those measures which thou hast assigned me for health and not for luxury And Lord grant that my pursuits may be not after the meat that perisheth but after that which endureth to everlasting life that hungring and thirsting after righteousness I may be filled with thy grace here and thy glory hereafter through Jesus Christ For Contentedness O Merciful God thy wisdom is infinite to choose thy love forward to dispence good things to us O let me alwaies fully and intirely resign my self to thy disposals have no desires of mine own but a perfect satisfaction in thy choices for me that so in whatsoever estate I am I may be therein content Lord grant I may never look with murmuring on my own condition nor with envie on other mens And to that end I beseech thee purge my heart of all covetous affections O let me never yield up any corner of my soul to Mammon but give me such a contempt of these fading riches that whether they increase or decrease I may never set my heart upon them but that all my care may be to be rich towards God to lay up my treasure in heaven that I may so set my affections on things above that when Christ who is my life shall appear I may also appear with him in glory Grant this O Lord for the mercies of the same Jesus Christ For Diligence O Lord who hast in thy wisdom ordained that man should be born to labour suffer me not to resist that design of thine by giveing my self up to sloth and idleness but grant I may so imploy my time and all other talents thou hast intrusted me with that I may not fall under the sentence of the slothful and wicked servant Lord if it be thy wil make me some way useful to others that I may not live an unprofitable part of mankind but however O Lord let me not be useless to my self but grant I may give all diligence to make my calling and election sure My soul is beset with many and vigilant adversaries O let me not fold my hands to sleep in the midst of so great dangers but watch and pray that I enter not into temptation enduring hardness as a good souldier of Jesus Christ till at the last from this state of warfare thou translate me to the state of triumph and bliss in thy Kingdome through Jesus Christ For Justice O Thou King of righteousness who hast commanded us to keep judgement and do Justice be pleased by thy grace to cleanse my heart and hands from all fraud and injustice and give me a perfect integrity and uprightness in all my dealings O make me ever abhor to use my power to oppress or my skil to deceive my brother and grant I may most strictly observe that sacred rule of doing as I would be done to that I may not dishonour my Christian profession by an unjust or fraudulent life but in simplicitie and godly sincerity have my conversation in this life never seeking to heap up treasures of wickedness but preferring a little with righteousness before great revenues without right Lord make me exactly careful to render to every man what by any sort of obligation becomes his due that I may never break the bond of any of those relations that thou hast placed me in but may so behave my self towards all that none may have an evil thing to say of me that so if it be possible I may have peace with all men or however I may by keeping innocency and taking heed to the thing that is right have peace at the last even peace with thee through Jesus Christ our Lord For Charity O Mercifull Lord who hast made of one blood and redeemed by one ransome all Nations of men let me never harden my bowels against any that partake of the same nature and redemption with me but grant me an universall charitie towards all men Give me O thou father of compassions such a tenderness and meltingness of heart that I may be deeply affected with all the miseries and calamities outward or inward of my bretheren and diligently imploy all my abilities for their succour relief O let not an unchristian self-love possess my heart but drive out that accursed spirit and let thy Spirit or love enter and dwell there and make me seek not to please my self but my neighbour for his good to edification even as Christ pleased not himself Lord make me a faithful steward of all those talents thou hast committed to me for the benefit of others that so when thou shalt cal me to give an account of my stewardship I may do it with joy and not with grief Grant this mercifull Lord I beseech thee for Jesus Christ his sake For perseverance O Eternall and unchangeable Lord God who art the same yesterdaie and to daie and for ever Be thou pleased to communicate some small ray of that excellence some degree of that stability to me thy wreched creature who am light and unconstant turned about with every blast my understanding is very deceivable O establish it in thy truth keep it from the snares of seducing spirits that I may not be led away with the errour of the wicked and fall from my own stedfastness my will also O Lord is irresolute and wavering and doth not cleave stedfastly unto God my goodness is but as the morning cloud and as the early due it passeth away O strengthen and confirm me and whatever good work thou hast wrought in me be pleased to accomplish and perform it until the day of Christ Lord thou seest my weakness and thou knowest the number and strength of those temptations I have to struggle with O leave me not to my self but cover thou my head in the day of battel and in all spiritual combates make me more then conquerour through him that loved me O let no terrours or flatteries either of the world or my own flesh ever draw me from my obedience to thee but grant that I may continue stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and by patient continuing in well doing seek and at last obtain glorie and honour and immortalitie and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord A Brief Paraphrase of the LORDS PRAYER To be used as a Prayer Our Father which
art in Heaven O Lord who dwellest in the highest heavens thou art the Author of our being thou hast also begotten us again unto a lively hope and carriest towards us the tenderness bowels of a compassionate father O make us to render to thee the love and obedience of children and that we may resemble thee our father in heaven that place of true delight and purity give us a holy disdain of all the deceitful pleasures and foul pollutions of this world and so raise up our minds that we may alwaies have our conversation in heaven from whence we look for our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ 1. Hallowed be thy Name STrike such an awe into our hearts that we may humbly reverence thee in thy Name which is great wonderful and holy and carry such a sacred respect to all things that relate to thee and thy worship as may express our reverence to thy great Majestie Let all the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee 2. Thy Kingdom come EStablish thy Throne and rule for ever in our souls by the power of thy grace subdue al those rebellious corruptions that exalt themselves against thee they are those enemies of thine which would not thou should'st reign over them O let them be brought forth and slain before thee and make us such faithful subjects of this thy Kingdom of Grace that we may be capable of the Kingdom of Glory and then Lord Jesus come quickly 3. Thy will be done in earth c. ENABLE us by thy grace chearfully to suffer thy will in all thy inflictions and readily perform it in all thy commands give us of that heavenly zeal to thy service wherewith the blessed Angels of thy presence are inspired that we may obey thee with the like fervor and alacrity and that following them in their obedience we may be joyned with them to sing eternal praises in thy Kingdom to God and to the Lamb for ever 4. Give us this day our c. GIVE us that continuall supply of thy grace which may sustain and nourish our souls unto eternal life And be thou pleased also to provide for our bodies all those things which thou seest fit for their support through this our earthly pilgrimage and make us cheerfully to rest on thee for them first seeking thy Kingdome and the righteousness thereof and then not doubting but all these things shall be added unto us 5. Forgive us our Trespasses c. HEal our souls O Lord for we have sinned against thee let thy tender mercies abound towards us in the forgiveness of all our offences And grant O Lord that we may never forfeit this pardon of thine by denying ours to our brethren but give us those bowels of compassion to others which we stand in so much greater need of from thee that we may forgive as fully and finally upon Christs command as we desire to be forgiven for his merits and intercession 6. Lead us not into Tempt c. O LORD we have no strength against those multitudes of temptations that daily assault us only our eyes are upon thee O be thou pleased either to restrain them or assist us and in thy faithfulness suffer us not to be tempted above that we are able but in all our temptations make us a way to escape that we be not overcome by them but may when thou shalt call us to it resist even unto blood striving against sin that being faithful unto death thou mayest give us the crown of life For thine is the Kingdome c. HEAR us and graciously answer our petitions for thou art the great King over all the earth whose Power is infinite and art able to do for us above all that we can ask or think and to whom belongeth the Glory of all that good thou workest in us or for us Therefore blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne to our God for ever and ever Amen Pious EJACULATIONS taken out of the Book of PSALMS For Pardon of Sin HAVE mercy on me O God after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds My misdeeds prevail against me O be thou merciful unto my sins Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified For thy names sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great Turn thee O Lord and deliver my soul O save me for thy mercies sake For Grace TEACH me to do the thing that pleaseth thee for thou art my God Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy truth O knit my heart to thee that I may fear thy name Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me O let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies and not to covetousness Turn away mine eyes lest they behold vanity and quicken thou me in thy way I am a stranger upon earth O hide not thy Commandements from me Lord teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisdome For the Light of Gods Countenance LORD why abhorrest thou my soul and hidest thy face from me O hide not thou thy face from me nor cast thy servant away in displeasure Thy loving kindness is better then life it self Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me Comfort the Soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Thanksgiving I WILL always give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth Thou art my God and I will thank thee thou art my God and I will praise thee I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will praise my God whilst I have my being Praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer nor turned his mercy from me Blessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel which only doth wondrous things And blessed be the Name of his Majestie for ever and all the earth shall be filled with his Majestie Amen Amen For Deliverance from Trouble BE merciful unto me O Lord be merciful unto me for my Soul trusteth in thee and under the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge until these calamities be over-past Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies for I flie unto thee to hide me O keep my Soul and deliver me let me not be confounded for I have put my trust in thee Mine eyes are ever looking unto the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the net Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and in misery The sorrows of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my troubles For the Church OBE favourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the
persons should be brought into error Thou seest with what Windes with what Waves with what storms thy silly ship is tossed thy ship wherein thy little flock is in peril to be drowned And what is now left but that it utterly sink and we all perish Of this tempest and storm we may thank our own Wickedness and sinful living we discern it well and confess it we discern thy Righteousness and we bewail our unrighteousness But we appeal to thy Mercy which surmounteth all thy works we have now suffered much punishment being scourged with so many Wars consumed with such Losses of goods shaken with so many floods and yet appears there no where any Haven or Port unto us being thus tired and forlorn among so strange evils but still every day more grievous punishments and more seem to hang over our heads We complain not of thy sharpness most tender Saviour but we discern here also thy Mercy forasmuch as much grievouser plagues we have deserved But O most merciful Jesus we beseech thee that thou wilt not consider nor weigh what is due for our deservings but rather what becometh thy Mercy without which neither the Angels in Heaven can stand sure before thee much less we silly vessels of clay Have mercie on us O Redeemer which art easie to be intreated not that we be worthy of thy mercie but give thou this Glorie unto thine own Name Suffer not those which either have not known thee or do envie thy glorie continually to triumph over us and say Where is their God where is their Redeemer where is their Saviour where is their Bridegroom that they thus boast on These opprobrious words redound unto thee O Lord while by our evils men weigh and esteem thy Goodness they think we be Forsaken whom they see not amended Once when thou sleptst in the Ship and a Tempest suddenly arising threatned death to all in the Ship thou awokest at the outcrie of a few Diseiples and straightway at thine Almightie word the Waters couched the Winds fell the Storm was suddenly turned into a great calm the dum waters knew their makers voice Now in this far greater Tempest wherein not a few mens bodies be in danger but innumerable Souls we beseech thee at the crie of thy holy Church which is in danger of drowning that thou wilt awake So many thousands of men do crie Lord save us we perish the Tempest is past Mans power it is Thy word that must do the deed Lord Jesu only say thou with a word of thy mouth Cease O tempest and forthwith shall the desired calm appear Thou wouldst have spared so many thousands of most wicked men if in the City of Sodom had been found but ten good men Now here be so many Thousands of men which love the glorie of thy Name which sigh for the beautie of thy House and wilt thou not at these mens Prayers let goe thine Anger and remember thine accustomed and old mercies Shalt thou not with thy heavenly policie turn our folly into thy glory Shalt thou not turn the wicked mens evils into thy Churches good For thy mercie is wont then most of all to succour when the thing is with us past Remedie and neither the Might nor Wisdome of men can help it Thou alone bringest things that be never so out of order into order again which art the only Author and maintainer of Peace Thou framedst that old Confusion wherein without order without fashion confusedly lay the discordant seeds of things and with a wonderful order the things that of nature fought together Thou didst ally and knit in a perpetual band But how much greater Confusion is this where is no Charitie no Fidelitie no bonds of Love no reverence neither of Laws nor yet of Rulers no agreement of Opinions but as it were in a misordered Quire every man singeth a contrary note Among the Heavenly Planets is no dessention the Elements keep their place every one do the office whereunto they be appointed And wilt thou suffer thy Spouse for whose sake all things were made thus by continual discords to perish Shalt thou suffer the wicked Spirits which be authors and workers of discord to bear such a swing in thy Kingdome unchecked Shalt thou suffer the strong Captain of mischief whom thou once overthrewest again to invade thy Tents and to spoil thy Souldiers When thou wert here a man conversant among men at thy Voice fled the Divils Send forth we beseech thee O Lord thy Spirit which may drive away out of the brests of all them that profess thy Name the wicked Spirits masters of riot of covetousness of vain-glory of carnal lust of mischief and discord Create in us O our God and King a clean heart and renew thy holy Spirit in our brests pluck not from us thy holy Ghost Render unto us the joy of thy saving health and with thy principal Spirit strengthen thy Spouse and the Heardmen thereof By this Spirit thou reconciledst the earthly to the Heavenly By this thou didst frame and reduce so many Tongues so many Nations so many sundry sorts of men into one body of a Church which body by the same Spirit is knit to thee their Head This Spirit if thou wilt vouchsafe to renew in all mens hearts then shall all these forreign miseries cease or if they cease not they shall turn to the profit and avail of them which love thee Stay this Confusion set in order this horrible Chaos O Lord Jesus let thy Spirit stretch out it self upon these Waters of evil wavering Opinions And because thy spirit which according to thy Prophets saying containeth all things hath also the Science of speaking make that like as unto all them which be of thy House is one Light one Baptisme one God one Hope one Spirit so they may also have one Voice one Note one Song professing one Catholick truth When thou didst mount up to Heaven triumphantly thou threwst out from above thy precious things thou gavest Gifts amongst men thou dealtest sundry rewards of thy Spirit Renew again from above thy old bountifulness give that thing to thy Church now fainting and growing downward that thou gavest unto her shooting up at her first beginning Give unto Princes and Rulers the grace so to stand in awe of thee that they so may guide the Common-weal as they should shortly render accompt unto thee that art the King of Kings Give wisdome to be alwayes assistant unto them that whatsoever is best to be done they may espy it in their minds and pursue the same in their doings Give to the Bishops the gift of Prophesie that they may declare and interpret holy Scripture not of their own brain but of thine inspiring Give them the threefold Charity which thou once demandest of Peter what time thou didst betake unto him the charge of thy sheep Give to the Priests the love of Soberness and of Chastity Give to thy people a good will to follow thy Commandments and a readiness to obey such persons as thou hast appointed over them So shall it come to pass if through thy Gift thy Princes shall command that thou requirest if thy Pastors and Herdmen shall teach the same and thy People obey them both that the old Dignity Tranquillity of the Church shall return again with a goodly order unto the glory of thy Name Thou sparedst the Ninivites appointed to be destroyed as soon as they converted to repentance and wilt thou despise thy House falling down at thy feet which instead of sackcloth hath sighs and in stead of ashes tears Thou promisedst Forgiveness to such as turn unto thee but this self thing is thy Gift a man to turn with his whole heart unto thee to the intent all our goodness should reâ—ound unto thy glory Thou art the Maker repair the work that thou hast fashioned Thou art the Redeemer save that thou hast bought Thou art the Saviour suffer not them to perish which do hang on thee Thou art the Lord and owner challenge thy possession Thou art the Head help thy members Thou art the King give us a reverence of thy Laws Thou art the Prince of Peace breath upon us brotherly love Thou art the God have pity on thy humble beseechers be thou according to Pauls saying all things in all men to the intent the whole Quire of thy Church with agreeing minds and consonant voices for mercy obtained at thy hands may give thanks to the Father Son and Holy Ghost which after the most perfect example of concord be distinguished in property of Persons and one in nature to whom be praise and glory Eternally Amen FINIS