most high and most willingly joyn our hearts and voices this Morning together with all the host of heaven and earth to laud and praise thy glorious Name and give thanks unto thee whose mercy endureth for ever We think our selves happy that we know thee and that we live under the care and providence of thine Almighty and most wise goodness and that we have a good hope not only of thy blessing and favour here but of life for evermore Blessed be thy Name for sending thy Son Jesus to give us these hopes by his Death and Resurrection and Ascension to heaven and the coming of the holy Ghost Blessed be thy Name who hast trained us up in his Religion and given us the means and opportunities to know that love of thine which passes knowledge We thank thee for all the blessed operations and motions of thy holy Spirit in our hearts and that thou hast so early inclined us to fear thee and love thee and place our contentment and satisfaction in thy love and favour which is better than life it self And that thou hast also added a number of other mercies for our comfortable subsistence in this world having granted us so long health peace and plenty a great many friends loving relations and acquaintance and continued the enjoyment of them to this day though we be so unworthy of the least of thy favours We thank thee O God that now thou hast graciously renewed thy kindness unto us in protecting us the last night from all the powers of darkness and every evil accident and raising us up this morning in health and safety to praise thy goodness More especially we praise thee for any sense we have of these thy mercies humbly waiting on thee for the increase of it and for thy gracious pardon of all our unthankfulness and undutiful behaviour towards thee which we most heartily bewail and desire and will endeavour to amend And for that end we implore the help of thy holy Spirit which our Lord hath incouraged us to ask of thee and told us thou wilt not deny to those that earnestly seek it and continue to knock importunately at the gate of Mercy for it We believe all his promises to be faithful and true and therefore humbly depend on thy mighty Power to strengthen and inable us to do our duty towards thee and towards all men with care and diligence and zeal and perseverance to the end Indue us good Lord with a spirit of true and servent devotion to thee our Creator and Redeemer with upright just and charitable hearts to all our Neighbours and with temperate contented and humble minds in every condition and state of life unto which thou shalt please to call us Help us to be meek and gentle in our conversation prudent and discreet in ordering all our affairs good and useful in every relation observant of thy fatherly providence in every thing that befals us grateful for thy benefits patient under thy chastisements and readily disposed to every good word and work Preserve in us a constant remembrance of thine all-seeing eye of the many promises and vows we have made of fidelity to thee of thine inestimable love in Christ Jesus whereof thou hast given us so many pledges and of the great account we must give to him the Judge of all at the day of his appearing That so we may continue steadfast and unmoveable and be abundant in the work of the Lord knowing that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Deliver us we beseech thee from all inordinate cares and desires from vain hopes and causeless fears and so dispose our hearts that death it self may not be dreadful to us but we may welcome it with a chearful countenance when and howsoever it shall approach O that our hearts may be so firmly settled and established in the true Religion and our minds kept so free from all delusions that nothing may afright us or shake our constancie But we may rather chuse to dye than dishonour our Saviour who dyed for us We resign our selves to thy wisdom and goodness who knowest what is best for us hoping thou wilt 1 Corinth 10.13 never suffer us to be tempted above what we are able and wilt with the temptation also make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it We commend unto thee likewise all mankind especially thy Church and chosen people these Kingdoms more particularly of which we are members that we may be all faithful to our Lord Christ and zealous of good works Bless our Soveraign his Councellors his Ministers and all imployed in publick business whether Spiritual or Civil that they may be conscientiously industrious and whatsoever they do may prosper for the good of all those who are committed to their charge Be gracious to all our friends and those who are dear unto us Keep us all in thy fear and love and obedience while we live and make us willing to dye and to be with Christ which is best of all Guide us good Lord and govern us by the same spirit of wisdom and goodness that we may be so united to thee here as not to be eternally separated when thou art pleased to order our departure hence But that we all at last may have an happy meeting in the other and better world to dwell with thee in love and joy that shall never dye through Christ Jesus our blessed Lord and Saviour in whose words we still beseech thee to hear us Our Father c. At Night ALL honour and glory thanks and praise love and service be rendred by us and all other reasonable creatures to thy great and glorious Majesty O Lord who hast brought us into the world and preserved our life most tenderly to this moment and made it easie and comfortable to us by more mercies than we can number And to all the former hast added those of this day which we have passed in peace and health and safety blessed be thy never-ceasing goodness Above all we acknowledge thy unconceiveable love in Christ Jesus by whom thou hast made a gracious provision for our souls and their everlasting happiness in the other world Having sent him to us with the promises of eternal life and to be the Way and Director to it and given him to dye that he might seal his promises with his bloud and raised him again from the dead that our faith and hope might be in thee O God 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye had not seen nor ear heard neither did enter into the heart of man the things which thou hast prepared for them that love thee We love thee O Lord and give our selves both souls and bodies to thee most earnestly desiring to be inspired with such a sense of thy infinite goodness that we may love thee more and serve thee better with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength We confess we have not walked worthy of the great
art so great so glorious and dwellest in light not to be approached Adored be thy wonderful love who hast incouraged our approaches to thee by humbling thy self to look down upon us and by appearing graciously to us in our own flesh Blessing Honour Glory and Praise be eternally ascribed unto thee who didst not abhor us and utterly cast us out of thy sight when we had turned our backs upon thee but sent thy only begotten Son into the world to call us again unto thee yea to beseech us and oblige us by laying down his own life for us to return unto thee and live No thought can comprehend the unsearchable riches of thy Grace manifested unto us in the Lord Jesus who was pleased to be vilely intreated and shamefully used to suffer the reproach of the Cross and to shed his dearest bloud that we might not suffer the pain of eternal death but be restored to the dignity of thy children and advanced to honour glory and immortality together with him Thou hast found out a way to manifest thy most tender love to us without the least suspicion of approving and loving our sins and to preserve thy Soveraign Authority without destroying those who were in rebellion against it Thou hast ordered such a chastisement of our iniquities as might save and deliver us who deserved to be punished and so disposed the means of our redemption as to pardon and amend us both at once O the wisdom of thy Love which hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 that we might be made the righteousness of thee our God in him O the riches of thy Grace which hath abounded to us in all wisdom and prudence Healing us by his stripes 1 Pet. 2.24 and condemning sin in the flesh by his sacrifice for sin Rom. 8.3 and making him a curse for us Gal. 3.14 that we might inherit a blessing and receive the promise of the Spirit through faith in him I see O Lord how infinitely I am indebted to thee I behold the design of thy wise goodness in giving him for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Tit. 2.14 and purifie us to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works I thank thee with all my soul for his bearing our sins in his own body on the tree 1 Pet. 2. that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness There is nothing I can more desire than by doing righteousness 1 Joh. 3. to become righteous even as he is righteous Assist me I beseech thee to attain this end of his death and passion by the power of that holy Spirit which he hath thereby purchased for us and hath likewise promised to us and is able to bless us withal I dread to think that his precious bloud should be lost and spilt in vain for me that so great a price should be cast away wherewith thou hast bought me to glorifie thee with my body and spirit which are thine O God preserve in me such a lively sense of his grief and sorrow of his pain and anguish that I may bitterly hate the cause of all his torments and look on every sin as the most fearful curse that can befal me Preserve in me a constant sense of the great value of my soul for which he paid so dearly and a great esteem of that purity righteousness and goodness for the restoring of which he made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was obedient to death even the death of the Cross And especially raise me to a great height of love and gratitude to thee and of hope and confidence in thy infinite mercies of which we have such strong assurance by his being delivered for our offences Rom. 4.25 and raised again for our justification Make me more and more in love with that lowliness of mind that tender and compassionate charity that meekness patience and forgiveness which shone in his sufferings And subdue my will so perfectly unto such an absolute quiet and ready submission to thy holy Will in every thing that my hope in thee may increase exceedingly and not only so but I may also joy in thee my God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.11 by whom we have now received the atonement Hear Good Lord the prayers of the whole Church which thou hast purchased with thine own bloud O that every member thereof may serve thee purely and orderly in the rank and condition wherein thou hast placed them to their mutual benefit and comfort and to the conviction of those who are enemies or strangers to the Name of the Lord Jesus that they seeing our good works may glorifie thee our heavenly Father and acknowledge that thou art among us of a Truth Bless all the Ministers of Religion or Justice and endue them with a great love to the honour of our Saviour and with a great zeal to make his holy Laws understood and observed That as he gave himself for his Church Ephes 5.26,27 that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word and present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing So all that name the name of Christ may depart from all iniquity and indeavour to be holy and without blemish and be found of him in peace at the day of his appearing Now unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Rev. 1.5,6 A PRAYER ON ANY SAINTS DAY THou art to be praised O Lord of heaven and earth in all thy works of wonder which declare the astonishing greatness of thy Majesty Power Wisdom and Goodness throughout the world One generation praises thy works to another and declares thy mighty acts especially the manifold wisdom of thy incomprehensible love in the salvation of mankind by Christ Jesus who hath brought us the glad tidings of peace and reconciliation with thee and the promise of immortal life and glory if we will be obedient to thee An innumerable company of holy Souls have in all ages since most thankfully received and acknowledged this thy grace and tender mercy being obedient to the very death and leaving us an excellent example of pure love to thee and constant affection and hearty devotion and ardent zeal for the honour of our Lord and Master Christ Jesus I add my poor tribute of praise and thanksgiving to all that hath been rendred unto thee O God who in the beginning commandedst the light to shine out of darkness and hast now shone into the hearts of thy holy ones to give the light of thy divine knowledge in the face of Jesus Christ Thanks be to thy infinite goodness as for that glorious manifestation of thy self in our flesh and the eternal
contented and in every condition to give thanks unto thee and rejoyce in thy holy Name and in the hope of eternal life through Christ Jesus my most blessed Lord and Saviour Amen A Prayer when the time of heâ— Travel draweth near O God the helper and delâ—verer of all those that trust iâ— thee by whose power I was formed in my Mothers Womb by whoâ— care I was brought from thence anâ— by whose merciful kindness I havâ— been preserved in many dangers since I praise and magnifie thy great and glorious Name and am encouraged by the remembrance of thy mercies which have been ever of old to implore thy compassionate help in the approaching time of my need pain and danger Thou art present to all thy creatures and hearest the cryes of the beasts of the earth which all wait upon thee O be not far from me when trouble is near but hearken unto me and save me when I call upon thee Shorten my pains or lengthen my patience which thou pleasest Bear up my spirit in submission to thy will and in some humble hope that I shall forget my anguish for joy that a man is born into the world Joh. 16.21 Psal 138.8 22.4,5 Forsake not the work of thy own hand but in due time perfect it and bring forth that which thou hast wrought in secret into the light that we may all see the wonders of thy wisdom and praise thy goodness and thy power My parents trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them They cryed unto thee and were delivered they cryed unto thee and were not confounded In thee likewise do I humbly put my trust and confidence which nothing disheartens but my own great unworthiness by reason of my forgetfulness of thy benefits and unthankful returns for former mercies bestowed upon me But thou hast taken care that this should not discourage me neither by proclaiming a gracious pardon by him that was born of woman and dyed for us unto contrite and reforming sinners Accept I beseech thee of my sincere resolutions to preserve hereafter a more affectionate remembrance of thy love to me and to dedicate my self and all I have to thy service 1 Tim. 2.15 in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety Or if thou art pleased oâ—herwise to dispose of me I resign â—y self heartily unto thee Lord â—eceive me to a better life where all â—ghing and sorrow shall be done away and eternal joy intirely posâ—ess our hearts Amen for Christ Jeâ—us his sake Amen 〈◊〉 Prayer to the same purpose to be said by her Relations O Most mighty Lord who hast already given us innumerable â—ledges of thy love and many arâ—uments to trust in thee for ever â—nd to expect with quiet and patient â—inds the issue of thy wise and good â—rovidence Thou hast respect to all â—e works of thy hands especially 〈◊〉 the sons of men and to those aâ—ove the rest who seek thy favour â—d give thee the glory of all thy â—ercies and are resolved to devote â—emselves and their children and all they have to do thee honour in the world We most humbly commend thy servant drawing near the time of her Travel to thy care and blessing beseeching thee to give her a gracious deliverance and to ease her of the burden wherewith she labours We our selves are monuments oâ— that mercy which we beg of thee Thou broughtest us into this world and didst unloose the bands wherewith we were swadled in our mothers womb We have had long experience also of thy readiness to succour us and to do us good eveâ— since many times beyond our desires and hopes and always beyond our deservings We dare not buâ— commit our selves and every thing belonging unto us most heartily into thy hands remembring that thou hast the same power and goodnesâ— still by which we came into thâ— light of the living and that thou still exercisest them as thy wisdom thinks most meet We cannot desire to be better provided for than as thy infinite understanding and counsel judges most convenient for us Unto that we refer our selves beseeching thee if it be thy good pleasure that her deliverance may be as speedy as her cryes unto thee or her patience as great and long as her pains Thou who ripenest the fruits of the earth and then givest us to gather them to our comfort blast not our humble hopes of the fruit of the womb But after thou hast brought it to maturity deliver it into our hands as a new pledge of thy goodness to us for which we will ever thankfully acknowledge and praise thy Name Or if thou hast otherwise determined Lord give us grace to submit to thy holy will and to rest satisfied in thy wise appointments and never to distrust thy goodness and care over us Yea help us still to bless thee and to speak good of thy Name saying The Lord gave and tâ—e Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth and for ever Amen A Thanksgiving to be used by those present after her safe Deliverance WE thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth for thy long continued goodness to us thy creatures who are unworthy of the least of thy favours In thee we live and move and have our being And it is only of thy mercy that we have not lived in perpetual pain and torment spending our days in sighs and lamentations but have enjoyed much health and ease and had innumerable occasions to praise thee and to rejoyce in thee who loadest us daily with thy benefits Blessed be thy Name O Lord who forgivest all our iniquities and healest all our diseases Who redeemest our life from destruction and crownest us with loving kindness and tender mercies More particularly we thank thee that thou hast heard the humble supplications of this thy servant to whom thou hast now granted a gracious deliverance and turned her sorrow and heaviness into joy and gladness We thank thee that thou hast sent her seasonable helpers and blessed their endeavours for the preservation of her and of the fruit of her womb And that thou likewise vouchsafest her all needful things for her refreshment in this weak condition wherein she lies waiting upon thee for the perfecting of thy mercies towards her Accept we beseech thee of our hearty acknowledgements of thy powerful and good providence over her and over any person here present in the like necessity which we now thankfully call to mind and desire may never be forgotten O that a lively remembrance of this and all other thy mercies may so mightily affect our hearts that we may be moved thereby to fear thee all our days and to love thee and to put our trust in thee and with quiet and resigned minds to cast all our burdens and cares on thee in a constant and chearful obedience to all thy holy commands And since thou hast begun to be so gracious to this thy hand-maid grant