land of Righteousnesse Giue me grace O Lord. Rom. 7.18 To know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing To abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the Soule To keepe in minde alwayes that the world passeth away and the desires thereof and that the benefit which a man getteth by the world is nothing but destruction Truely to say Psal 119.52 I haue remembred thy euerlasting Iudgements and my Soule receiueth comfort thereby O Thou that a 1. Pet. 5.5 giuest grace to the humble giue me grace to be humble Giue me a good heart which Luc. 8.15 hearing thy Word may keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience O Lord Gen. 6.8 let me finde grace in thine eyes Heb. 12.17 Let me finde a place and time of Repentance Let me not receiue thy Grace in vaine 2. Cor. 6.1 Let Heb. 12.15 mee not faile or fall from it But Act. 13.43 let me continue in it And 2. Pet. 3.18 let me grow in it To the end of my daies 2. Cor. 7.11 Giue me O Lord the workes of RepentaÌ„ce Carefulnesse Defence or clearing my selfe Indignation Feare Vehement desire Zeale Reuenge Phil. 4.8 Giue mee Grace to thinke vpon doe Whatsoeuer things are True Venerable Honest Iust Pure Louely Of good report Giue vnto me ô Lord Humility of heart Charity to my Neighbour Patience of minde Temperance of life Chastity of body Contentednesse of minde Alacrity of Spirit Giue vnto me good Lord. Perfect knowledge of my sinnes Hearty sorrow for them Perfect hatred against them Feruent loue to all goodnesse True obedience to thy Will 2. Pet. 1.5 Giue mee grace O Lord to adde To faith Vertue To Vertue Knowledge To Knowledge Temperance To Temperance Patience To Patience Godlinesse To Godlinesse Brotherly Kindnesse To Brotherly kindnesse Charitie Gal. 5.22 Giue vnto me ô Lord the fruites of the spirit Loue Ioy Peace Long suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance Giue vnto mee good Lord. Contempt of the world Hatred of sinne Loathing of the flesh Desire of Heauen Giue vnto me O Lord. A right Faith to liue well A sure Hope to perseuere well A perfect Humility to obay well A true Charitie Neuer to be diuided from thee Giue mee grace O Lord To be content with that which â—s necessary To despise that which is superfluous Grant O Lord That I may so liue that I repent not to haue liued That I may so liue that no man may know I haue liued amisse That I may so liue that I may alwaies liue Luc. 2.29 That dying I may liue and liuing I may dye and say with a chearefull Spirit Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in peace Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Prayers for Spirituall Graces O Blessed LORD Iesus Christ who art my only Tutor and instructer and from whom I haue learned whatsoeuer I know I beseech thee that thou wouldest further teach me those things whereof I am ignorant and which are necessary for my Saluation that thou wouldest keepe me in those things which I haue already learned and rectifie mee in those matters wherein as a man I erre strengthen mee and make mee firme whereinsoeuer I wauer and am doubtfull and keepe me from that which is erroneous and hurtfull Aboue all things O Sauiour strengthen my Faith and giue me grace dayly to profit in the knowledge and vnderstanding of thy Holy Word and so gouerne all my actions by thy Holy Spirit that my life may be answerable to my knowledge and that I may shew the fruites of whatsoeuer I haue learned by my good and religious conuersation Giue mee a firme and assured hope in thee and thy gratious promises that in all my troubles and necessities I may haue an assured confidence in thy mercy Be vnto me a strong tower of defence against mine enemies that whether the world allure me the Deuill assayle me or the flesh rebell I may flie vnto thee for refuge And although thou presently put not forth thy hand to helpe me but deferre thy comfort according to thy good pleasure yet keepe me from doubting or despairing of thy aid because thy promises are sure Giue me a feruent loue and perfect charity to my neighbour that I may be as kinde to him and as carefull of him as of one who is a member with mee of the same body whereof thou O sweete Sauiour art the Head Let my loue to him bee sincere and vnfained which may charitably releeue him in his wants patiently beare with his infirmities and willingly forgiue him all his trespasses against me Create in mee I beseech thee a pure milde peaceable and humble heart which may thinke harme to no man nor recompense euill for euill but good for iniuries Cleanse me from all vncleane and earthly desires and lift vp my heart to thee and Heauenly things and so write thy Lawes in it that I may wholly bend my selfe to keepe them and please thee perseuering in the same to my liues end Giue me O Lord true Compunction of heart and so water it with the dew of thy heauenly Grace that I may in the bitternesse of my soule with abundance of teares sighes and groanes bewaile and lament all my hainous and grieuous transgressions against thee Giue mee grace O Lord that I may not boast in any merits or workes of mine owne or haue any confidence in them but let mee glory in this alone that I am a member of that Body of thine which was crucified for me and did sufficiently satisfie for all the sinnes of the world If thou O Lord looke or expect or any merits from me behold I tender vnto thee thine owne merits the merits of thy death and Passion which thou hast vouchsafed to make me partaker of by vertue whereof alone I dare boldly appeare before thy Tribunall These merits I set betweene my sinnes and thy Iustice and otherwise or in any other manner I dare not I will not contend with thee O sweet Iesu I desire thee to offer them to the Father as a propitiatory Sacrifice for all my great and grieuous offences that when my soule shall depart from this body it may by the same be freed and deliuered from all the Iudgements and punishments which are due vnto it for sinne and be carried to that blessed Place where there is no sorrow but endlesse felicitie where thou together with the Father and the blessed Spirit liuest and raignest for euer Before Prayer O Almighty and euerliuing God Heauenly Father to whom it is manifestly knowne how inconstant and wandering the mindes of Men are in any good actions and how easily we suffer our selues to be carried away from the contemplation of thee by diuersity of distractions and vnseasonable thoughts which take hold of vs in the time of our deuotions and praiers vnto thee who also by thine only begotten Sonne Christ Iesus didst
and the poore importunate widow intimating thereby vnto vs that of necessity if wee hope to receiue any good or auoid any euill wee must keepe our selues to this holy Duty of earnest Prayer The Dignity And if there were no necessity imposed on vs to pray yet the Dignitie and Honour wee receiue by prayer is sufficient to incite vs to it For Prayer as a father well saith is a familiar conference with God Ep◅ By it wee talke with him as it were face to face By other of his Graces as in the Word and Sacraments hee vouchsafeth to speake to vs by this wee haue accesse and speake to him for what we stand in neede of And what greater Dignity what greater priuiledge can be affoorded to poore sinfull creatures Dust and Ashes as we are then familiarly to talke with so great and powerfull a God and to haue dayly so free and easie admittance to his presence to manifest our necessities to him and to craue his supply and succour Then The Benefit if wee consider the profit which ariseth by the due performance of this Dutie wee shal be the easilier drawne to performe it for if nothing else quicken vs yet matter of Benefit doth vsually worke with vs. And assuredly the benefit which ariseth by it is and euer hath beene great For by prayer we doe not only obtaine of God all good things pertaining to this life as the necessaries thereof and to the life to come as the gifts and graces of his Holy Spirit but also we auoide preuent and remoue by it all the dangers and euils of both liues as the losses and dangers incident to this life and the punishment due to our sinnes hereafter If you please you may take a short view of the wonderfull effects which haue been wrought and the benefits which haue been obtained and the punishments which haue beene auerted in former times when recourse was had to God by Prayer By it The Iewes ouercame The Amalekites Exo. 17. Samuel ouercame The Philistims 1. Sam. 7. Iudith ouercame Holofernes Iudeth 13. The Reubenites ouercame The Agarens 1. Chr. 5.20 Asa ouercame The Ethiopians 2. Chro. 14. Iosaphat ouercame The Ammonites 2. Chro. 20. Ezechias ouercame Sēnacherib 2. King 19.15 Manasses was restored to his kingdome 2. Chr. 33.15 By it Hanna became fruitfull 1. Sam. 1.9 Elias obtained fire from Heauen 1. King 18. as also raine and faire weather Iames 5. By it The rebellious Iewes escaped Punishment Exod. 32. Num. 21.7 The Niniuites escaped Destruction Ion. 3. Ezechias escaped Death 2. Kings 20. The 3 Children escaped The fierie Fornace Dan. 3. Daniel escaped The Lions Daniel 6. Ionas escaped The Whale Ion. 2. The Disciples escaped Drowning Mat. 8.25 Peter escaped Bonds Acts 12. Paul and Silas escaped Imprisonment Acts 16. Dauid stayed the Pestilence 2. Sam. 24. The Lepers were cleansed Luc. 12. The Centurions seruant was healed Mat. 8. The blinde receiued sight Mat. 9.20 Luc. 18. The womās daughter The mans son were deliuerd frō the deuill Mat. 15.17 By it The sicke were made whole Act. 28. The widow of Sarepthas son 1. King 18. The Shunamites son 2. King 14. The Rulers daughter Mat. 9. Dorcas Act. 7. were reuiued The Publican obtayned Remission of sinnes Luc. 18. The Theife obtayned Paradice Luc. 23. St. Stephen obtayned Heauen Act. 7. Directions how to pray Now seing that for these respects Pray we must in the next place we are to consider How prayer is to be made that it turne not to sinne 1. To God only First prayer must be made to God and to none other 1. Because God hath so commanded a Deut. 6.13 For prayer is a part of his Seruice and Worship And his Seruice and Glory he will impart to none else b Mat. 4.10 Him onely shalt thou serue And c Io. 19.23 Io. 4.21 whatsoeuer you shall aske of my Father not of Angels Saints or the like 2 In regard of his Glory and Maiesty Psal 24.8 96,6 99,2 104.1 wherein he excelleth all others and ought therefore aboue all to be prayed vnto 3 In regard of his Singular Knowledge Lue. 11.13 for he knoweth our necessities better then wee our selues 4 In regard of his Power and Ability to helpe vs. Esa 40.10.12 Psal 66.2 Psal 17.6 18,6 103. Esa 46.4 5 In regard of his willingnesse and readinesse to relieue vs. 6 In respect of the practise of all the Saints and of Christ himselfe Of a 1. Sam. 1 15. Hanna b Psal 25,1 73,25 5.1 77,1 Dauid c Psal 22.4 of the Saints d Mat. 14.23 of Christ 7 In regard of the absurditie in praying to those which cannot helpe themselues much lesse vs. For to which of the Saints or Angels can be properly said Our Father which art in Heauen or hallowed bee thy Name c. But to God alone Esa 43.11 45.5 is this seruice to be done for he onely saueth vs and besides him is no Sauiour 2. In Faith Secondly our prayers ought to be made in Faith for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and whosoeuer desireth to haue good successe in his prayers ought to beleeue and not to pray waueringly Our Sauiour said to the petitioner for his deafe and dumb son If thou canst beleeue al things are possible to him that beleeueth Mat. 9.23 And to his Disciples 21.22 All things whatsoeuer ye shall aske in prayer beleeuing ye shall receiue which lesson also Saint Iames teacheth in his first Chapter Ia. 1.5.6 If any man lacke Wisedome let him aske of God c. But let him aske in faith 3. In Hope Thirdly as faith is the foundation and first vertue required in prayer So Hope certaine and assured is to bee fixed and setled in vs when we Pray that God wil performe the promises which he hath made Psal 22.4.121 and that hee will heare and grant those things which we shall desire according to his Will 4. In Charity And that our prayers may the better ascend they are to put on the wings of Charity which is one of the fruits of the holy Spirit Gal. 5.21 For without this quality our prayers will proue cold heauie and lumpish and will returne empty vnto vs. This Charity is two fold First towards God Secondly towards our Neighbour 1. Towards God in keeping his commandements for our Sauiour saith Io. 14.21,23 Hee that keepeth my commandements is he that loueth me and the Apostle saith 1. Ioh. 3.22 Wee receiue of him because wee keepe his commandements that is we loue him so that wee are loth to offend him 2. Towards our Neighbour which Charitie is also manifested two waies 1. In forgiuing all iniuries receiued from him or by his meanes after our Sauiours rule
Mat. 11.25 When you stand praying forgiue if you haue ought against any that your Father also which is in Heauen may forgiue you your trespasses And againe Mat. 6.14.15 if you forgiue men their trespasses your Heauenly Father will also forgiue you But if you forgiue not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgiue your trespasses 2 Secondly in praying for his wants and supplying them to our powers according to Saint Iames direction Ia. 5.16 1. Tim. 2.1 Pray for one another And to Saint Paul I exhort that first Prayers c. bee made for all men And to encourage vs to relieue them our Sauiour pronounceth a blessing to all that are charitable in that kinde Blessed are the mercifull Mat. 5.7 for they shall obtaine mercy So that by this we may plainly see that if we be vncharitable our prayers wil be barren and vnfruitfull 5. Humility Fifthly with these Humility must goe along for by it wee acknowledge with the Publican Luc. 18. whom our Sauiour commended to vs for a patterne our owne vnworthinesse to deserue any fauour which Humility as appeareth by that story or parable made his prayer more acceptable to God then the vaunting and boasting of the proud Pharise And Dauid saith Psal 51.17 A broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise And the Sonne of Sirach The prayer of the Humble pierceth the Clouds Ecclus. 35.17 And the Virgin Mary he hath exalted the humble and meeke Luc. 1.52 And this Humility is likewise two fold First of the Spirit Secondly of the Body 1. For by the Humility of the Spirit we acknowledge the impurity of our soules and confesse our selues wicked miserable and wretched in our owne sight and that our strength is not worth the boasting of which kinde or manner of praying hath euer wrought effectually with God as by the Prophet Esay he confesseth To this man I looke Esa 66.2 euen to him that is poore and of a contrite Spirit And the Psalmist testifieth how propense and propitious God is to such kinde of petitioners The Lord is nigh vnto them that are of a contrite heart Psal 34.17 and will saue such as bee of an humble Spirit and the Blessed Virgin acknowledgeth that she found the fruits of her Humility Luc. 1.48 He hath regarded the lowlinesse of his Handmayden 2 Secondly wee must shew our Humility by a reuerend posture of the Body too For it was euer the ancient and vsuall custome in prayers and supplications to vse the most humble and decent gesture of body that might be thereby to testifie the Sympathy of the Body with the Soule a 1. King 8.22 Solomon at the dedication of the Temple stood before the Lord and spread forth his hands to Heauen b Luc. 18.13 The Publican stood and smote his breast c Exo. 17.11 Moses held vp his hands to Heauen d Dan. 6.10 Daniel e Act. 7.60 Stephen f Act. 9.40 Peter g Paul kneeled h Psal 95.6 Dauid kneeled and lifted vp his eyes i Matth. 26.39 Lastly our Sauiour Christ euery one of whose actions ought to be a rule to vs sometimes fell on his face sometimes k Lue. 22.41 kneeled and sometimes l 10.11.41 lifted vp his eyes when he Prayed And to this reuerend gesture of the Body must be added the vnconering of the head m 1. Cor. 11.4 Our heads must be bare and not pray so familiarly as if we were speaking to our equals for the higher and more eminent the person is whom we petition the more reuerend and submisse ought our behauiour to be to him 6. In Perseuerance In the next place wee must resolue with our selues not to be impatient of delayes as we call it if God seeme not to heare vs presently But we must Pray with perseuerance Our Sauiour himselfe immediately after he had prescribed vnto his Disciples that absolute forme of prayer taught them also and vs in them the effects of this perseuerance by the Example of the friend that came in the night to borrow loanes Luc. 11.8 Which effects also Psal 40.1 Dauid and the woman of Canan felt Matth. 15.28 Wherefore not without good reason did Saint Paul so often consaile this assiduity Colloss 4.2 and instancie in prayer 1. Thess 4.17 If therefore our prayers be not heard as we conceiue at the first second or third time shall wee then giue ouer Surely no wee must not leaue so For no doubt but he which said Luc. 11.9 Aske and yee shall haue will also giue what he hath promised when hee thinketh expedient that wee should receiue it O tary thou the Lords leysure saith Dauid And let not vs prescribe to God Psal 27.14 either time place or manner but let vs in all modestie willingly and patiently attend his good pleasure For he many times deâ—…yeth vs and putteth vs off either to prooue our faith perseuerance and patience and so to reward vs the more plentifully or else least wee should loath or litle esteeme his Blessings by obtaining them too easily Feruency and ottention Two other qualities there are which seeme to depend vpon this vertue of perseuerance namely feruency of the Spirit for what we craue and Attention and regard to what we craue For it is not a chill and cold Perseuerance or expectation that will serue our turnes to preuaile with God but a feruent Spirit to pursue the same For God heareth not at least regardeth not cold faint and drowzie prayers nor loud crying long babling or many tautologies or repetitions not intending or minding what wee pray for which proceede onely from the lips but it is the affection and zealous desires of the deuout mixed with sighes teares Ro. 8.26 and grones not to bee vttered which mooue and preuaile with him For God being a Spirit looketh to bee worshiped in Spirit To which purpose it is that our Sauiour Christ aduiseth vs when we pray to enter into our Clossets and to sâ—ut the doore intimating to vs thereby Mat. 6.6 that we being alone and priuate should cast away all publike wandering and worldly thoughts which trouble our deuotions and hinder vs from lifting vp our hearts vnto God and wholly feruently and considerately bend our thoughts and desires vnto him And these retired Soliloquies and priuate meditations and conferences betweene God and our soules and betweene our selues and our soules haue euer beene much approued by the Ancients Our prayer saith an ancient Father ought to be in such manner Ephr. Syr. 1. Sam. 1. as Hannas was She wept praid and her lippes onely were perceiued to moue Let euery one heare this and imitate it especially they who with extreame babling without all modesty yet with lowdnesse of voice make their prayers Let vs therefore pray with sighes and groanes But withall taking heed as much as we can