Righteous that we may die the Death of the Righteous Deliver us from a vain and darkned Understanding and from working Uncleanness with greediness Enable us to put off as touching our Conversation the Old man and put on the New Man being renewed in the spirit of our Minds that we may be created after the Image of God in Righteousness and true Holiness Prepare us for another Life and let not one day pass over our heads without some serious meditations of Eternity how soon it may be we cannot tell ere we may launch into its Ocean that bankless Sea and then woe unto us if our Ship be unsound Let these thoughts make us careful about our Souls Help us to use the things of this transitory World but as journey necessaries to a permanent and lasting World but let us be truly desirous of the permanent Riches with an insatiable desire Make us wise Merchants for that durable riches that none can rob us of Now Lord pardon our sins and accept our services in Chrst to whom with thee and thy Eternal Spirit be praises Amen A Prayer for Wednesday Evening GLorious and most Righteous Lord for ever to be admired of all thy Saints thy ways are ways of love and mercy thy daily care to thy people do attest it we are wonderfully engaged to offer thee praise both with hearts and voices Accept of our thanks and praises as well as prayers for an Evening Sacrifice and take charge of us we beseech thee Let us not be disappointed of our hopes Let not Sin nor Sathan molest us in the comforts of this night Let not the sins of the day past provoke thee or prevent us in thy favours to us-ward Let us rest in the assurance of thy favour sealed by thy good Spirit upon our hearts that we be not left comfortless and grant that though our Bodily Eyes be closed with sleep yet let our Spiritual Eyes to wit the Eyes of Faith continually watch Let thy work of Grace begun in us be daily strengthened Let the power of sin decay but the power of Grace revive Enable us to rise with Christ and to seek those things that are above that we may glorifie thee here by finishing the race that is set before us Keep us from abusing or slighting thy Mercies and Judgemnts and watch over us for good Let not our self-flattery prove to us soul-mockery Make us faithful rather than formal in all our duties towards thee Deliver us from worldly mindedness the great enemy to real holiness Give us the grace of humiliation for sin and the spirit of reformation from sin O suffer us not to sin against Mercy lest we lose our best friend O let the service of God which is perfect freedom free us from the service of sin Now unto him that is able to keep us be Glory for ever Amen A Prayer for Thursday Morning HOly and Eternal Glorious Lord God infinite are thy Mercies to us ward thy patience and long suffering are exceeding great in regard of our continued provocations even in our thoughts which are only evil and that continually our words also have been stout against thee nothing but infinite mercy could forbear such wretches blessed be our God that hath laid help yea our help upon one that is mighty to save all those that come unto God by him O whither should such sinners go but to him that hath the Keys of Heli and Death that calls to the weary and heavy laden to come to him and accept of ease and rest O Lord draw us that we may run after thee that we may run the way everlasting the way of thy commands and be followers of that which is good hating the Garments spotted by the Flesh building up our selves in the most holy faith Enable us O our God with all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure adding to our Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity O let these Graces shine and abound in us that we may neither be barren nor unfruitful Give us precious faith in our Lord Jesus who hath washed and quickned us Make us the compleat Workman-ship of Christ Jesus created unto good works Sanctifie us through thy Truth thy Word is Truth and give us that Spirit that may guid us into all Truth Lead us this day and all the rest of our lives by thy Grace and at last bring us to Glory through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen A Prayer for Thursday Evening MOst gracious Lord thou art the great preserver of those that trust in thy Promises and observe thy Precepts Blessed be thy holy Name for this day past that thou hast kept us from the dangers of this day incident to us Blessed be thou Lord for all thy Providence and Provision for Health and Strength Food and Rayment for the present Comforts of this Life and the hopes of a future Let all our sins be pardoned for the sake of our Lord who only is worthy O vouchsafe to continue thy goodness this night that we may receive that refreshment that is for tryed ones Watch over us for good and let a quiet and peaceable rest fit us for our Calling according to thy will Help us to live by Faith and to walk by Faith that we may have that Peace that none can take away Let us die daily to sin and be strengthened daily with all might in the inward man Help us to consider the effects of sin is shame and the wages of sin is death Give us the comforts of our being in Christ that we may beassured that we are freed from condemnation by our christian conversation who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit O let thy Spirit so lead us that it may be our testimony that we are thine Let all that we suffer here be an evidence of that Glory to be revealed in us Let all things work together for the best Let neither tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword be able to prevail against us so as to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ for whom we bless thee and to whom be praises for ever Amen A Prayer for Fryday Morning MOst Holy and most gracious Lord thou art near unto all that call upon thee in truth and fulfillest the desires of those that fear thee Thou art good and dost good thy mercies are over all thy works Blessed be the Lord for his refreshing mercies of the last night Day unto day and night unto night shew forth thy tenderness over us by thy providences and provision O deliver us from all sins and evil for thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory Help us to live blameless with those with whom we have to deal O give us wisdom to remember our later end Let us remember the approaching of
punishment was greater than the punishment of Sodom O holy Lord open mine Eyes that I may see the evil of that sin for whom Young Men and Virgins were slain with the Sword the Virgins were trodden down as in a Wine-press O give me chastity of mind and purity of heart and let the inward man have the chief adorning Let me be adorned with that modesty and shamefastness that becomes those that profess the Gospel of Christ not with embroidred Garments and costly Apparels Help me to consider that there is no communion betwixt Light and Darkness Sin and Holiness Help me to live to that end for which I was created Help me always to bear in mind my Creator in the days of my Virginity that I may mark thy Law to do it O preserve me from the ways of sin and let death and judgement put me in mind of the great work I have to do that I may so act in this life as that I may live for ever hereafter with thee in Heaven in eternal bliss purchased by the precious Blood of Christ to whom be glory for ever Amen The Sea-mans Prayer MOst great and powerful Lord God whose ways are in the deep Seas and paths in the deep Waters and whose Footsteps are not known yet sets the bounds and limits of the raging Sea and sayest Hitherto shalt thou go and no farther and raiseth a storm and allayeth it let thy good providence keep me in the middest thereof and though the Sea rageth and roareth yet let thy everlasting strength environ and surround me so that I may be hid and be safe and being safe I may both with heart and soul sing forth his praise that hath been graciously pleased to preserve me amidst the tempests of the raging Seas but most of all I earnestly desire thee that thou wouldst keep me from the roaring rage of Sin and Sathan and as thou boundest the Sea so bind up Sathan that he may not be able to do me any harm that he may not tempt me to do any thing that may bring dishonour to thy Name either by distrust or otherwise O let me discern much of thy self O Lord in the Depths that I may bless thee in thee Land of the Living When Mans Wisdom and Power faileth stand thou up and deliver thy Servant when the Billows and Storms are raging do thou quell them so shalt thou rejoyce the Soul of thy Servant and at last bring me to the desired Haven for thy Sons sake to whom be everlasting strength ascribed for ever Amen The Sea-mans Prayer after a safe Voyage MOst powerful Lord God thou art the powerful preserver of thy Creatures thy power is not limited and thou art the same yesterday to day and for ever thy hand is not shortened thou savest both by Sea and Land thou that savedst Israel of old by bringing them thorow the Red Sea thou hast preserved me amidst all the Billows of raging Waves of the immense Ocean thou never failest those that trust in thee O let thy mercies engage me to praise thee that I may cry out Come and I will tell you what the Lord has done for my Soul and let this great deliverance enjoyn me to trust God for the future in the greatest of straits O help me to praise thee whilst I have any being O Let my Soul praise thee for this experienced mercy Open my mouth Lord and fill it with praises that I may sing unto the mighty God of Jacob the Redeemer of Israel O give me the Spirit of praises that I may extol the name Jehovah O Lord help me to love thee more every day and admire that Love that thou hast shewn and dost shew unto me every day O govern my affections words and actions and help me so to stear my course as that I may at length be brought to the Haven in Canaan for Christs sake alone the Strength of my Salvation and Hope Amen The Widdows Prayer MOst holy Lord thou art the fountain of all Comfort and God of all Consolation and changest not all the comfort of thy sorrowful Hand-maid is in thy self thou art able to make up all the losses and breaches thy providence has made O supply all that comfort thou hast taken away and thou that hast promised to be a Father to the Fatherless and an Husband to the Widdow be a Father to my Fatherless Children and an Husband to me a poor destitute Widdow Make up all my wants in thy self and pardon that sin contracted between us and pardon that negligence of seeking after better comforts than any this life affords pardon that inordinate care that was used by me in reference to the World and guide and support thy poor distressed Servant by thy Spirit O help me to sit silently under thy chastizing Rod and that because it is the dictate of thine own will and say thou Lord hast done it and say with thy Servant Job that emblem of patience The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. Let this last be an instigation to put me in mind of my last end and to consider the brevity of this frail life that thereby I may be taught to number my Days that I may both know how frail I am and may apply my heart unto Wisdom that I may bear in mind the great concerns of Eternity strengthen my Faith enlarge my Desire raise and elevate my Affections enflame my Love let Sin be most loathsome Grace most beautiful the World less desirable These and what thou knowest to be more necessary for me grant for Christs sake Amen The Orphans Prayer RIghteous Lord take thou charge of thy desolate Creature be thou a Father to the Fatherless thou art Righteous but I have sinned and therefore this sorrow hath taken hold on me my neglect of Duty hath removed away this Mercy O pardon and remove my Guilt and remember thy Promise to the Fatherless O save me for I am thine I desire none but thee be thou my Comfort and Guid unto Death Help me to be more an obedient Child to honour thee in my Generation Supply my wants and necessities and make up all in thy self and help me to eye thee as a God in Covenant and let me know that I am reconciled unto thy self by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant and let Mortality be swallowed up of Life and Lord help me though little in respect of Stature that I may be tall in respect of Grace and knowing that I have a great journey to take that I may set out be-times to enquire-the way and that when my Glass is run I may have finished my Masters Work and my Course with Joy and O that I may never cease Labouring until I have finished my Work knowing that they that run in a Race run all but one gets the Prize O let O Lord Integrity and Sincerity preserve me and that for Christs sake Amen
Power working in thy Soul Have I not sprinkled thy Conscience with my pacifying Blood from which hath flowed an attestation of good things such a sense of mercy as many times hath filled thy heart with Joy and thy mouth with a song of Praise Have not I stirred thee up in great fervency to call on the Name of the Lord Have I not made thee to give my Name a publick testimony with thine own disadvantage and how oft hath thine heart been effectually moved at the hearing of my Word in such sort as it hath wrought in thee an holy remorse and inward contrition for thy sins which hath broken out into tears Have I not made thee a wrestler against thine inordinate lusts Have I not given thee strength many a time to stand against Sathans tentations whereas if I had left thee to thy self how oft hadst thou been made a prey to thine enemy Rememberest thou not that the Tempter hath assaulted thee but I have withdrawn the occasion of thy sin and when the occasion served did I not restrain and hold back the Tempter yea when both the occasion and the Tempter were present have I not filled thy heart with the fear and love of my Name and so kept thee from sinning against me And whereas many times thou of thy weakness hast offended did I not with a melting Heart and a mourning Eye raise thee again and renew my former familiarity with thee so that thou canst never say from the first hour I began to renew thee that I suffered thee to lie in thy sins as have done others that are strangers to my Grace And many notable effects of my workings in thee thou canst not deny Are not these undoubted tokens of my Grace in thee Will Nature do such things Mayest not thou feel that by these I have begun to apply to thee my merit for the remission of thy sins and my vertue for quickning thee to a new life Therefore think of thy self as basely as thou wilt but let the work of my Grace be esteemed of thee according to the excellency of it Be humble and cast down when thou lookest upon thine own corruption I find no fault with thee but I rejoyce at the new workmanship I have begun in thee Indeed if there were nothing in thee but that which thou hast of Nature thy estate were miserable but seeing thou seest a new workmanship in thee be comforted Art thou so in darkness that there is no light in thee that besides it there is not in thee a will to do good also and a love to righteousness If thou sayest thou hast no sin in thee thou art a liar and thinkest thou that I who have begun to translate thee from darkness to light and to make thee a new creature will leave thee until I have done my work in and upon thee Therefore beloved give not ear to thine own Corruption and Satan as to take their testimony against thee or to make thee think that my pledges that I have given thee are not worthy of credit that by them thou shouldest be assured of mercy Soul I cannot deny O Lord but that many times I have felt the sweetness of thy consolations which have greatly rejoyced my Soul But alas my grief is so much the greater that by mine own default I should now be deprived of them for I have grieved thy holy Spirit yea I have done what I could to quench him and therefore it is that the Comforter who was wont to refresh my Soul is away nor can I feel his presence with me as before Christ Because I am not changed therefore is it that the Sons of Jacob are not consumed Many indeed are the changes whereunto ye are subject but I remain the same and there is no shadow of alteration in me James 1.17 Be not afraid O my well beloved neither esteem thy self to be rejected of me albeit I sometimes hide my Face from thee all my ways are mercy and truth to mine It is for thee that sometimes I go from thee and it is for thee that again I turn unto thee for if I come it is for thy consolation that continual heaviness through manifold temptations should not oppress thee How oft hast thou found this when thou wast sick of love I have strengthened thee with the Flaggons of Wine and comforted thee with my Apples my fruit hath been sweet in thy mouth and I have put my left hand under thy head and with my right hand I have embraced thee Can. 2. But least the greatness of my consolations should exalt thee to disdain thy Brother and offend me by imputing that to thine own disposition I have again drawn these glorious feelings from thee give me the praise that I know best what is expedient for thee Had my servant Paul need to be humbled with the buffets of Sathan lest he should be exalted above measure by the greatness of his Revelations and hast not thou need that by my inward exercises I should hold thee humble If my comfort were always present with thee thou wouldest think that thy Heaven and permanent City were on Earth and so cease to inquire for a better to come Thou wouldest take the place of thy Banishment for thy home and the Earnest for the Principal Summe which I have promised thee Consider this wifely with thy self that albeit I smile not alike on thee at all times and fill thee not always with my Joys yet I always love thee if thou continue in my Love for whom I love I love unto the end If I close my Chamber door upon thee it is not to hold thee out it is to learn thee to knock If I cover my self with many vails that thou canst not see a glance of my loving Countenance 't is only to stir thee up to seek me and if sometimes I seem to go from thee 't is to provoke thee to follow me that thou mayest make haste from the Earth to Heaven where thou shalt injoy me without intermission Was Joseph so wise as to conceal his tender affection from his Brethren till he brought them to an humble acknowledgment of their sin And was he again so loving as when he saw them so humbled his affection was enflamed and compelled him to reveal himself unto them And thinkest thou that I am less wise and loving in dealing with mine I gave at first sharp answers to that Woman of Canaans Petitions and so will I to deal roughly seemingly with those whom I love and to be angry even at their Prayers but in the end I will make my love manifest to them and with mine endless mercies imbrace them Soul Suffer me yet once again Lord to speak unto thee that thou mayest answer me and I shall complain no more If we saw that such were our Disposition as thy holy Word doth require in us then should thy comforts rejoyce us but alas how far am I from that which I should be my