GRatious Lord God and moſt mercifull father, I humblie beſéech thée in Ieſus Chriſt thy deare ſonnes name, and for his ſake, to ſtrike continually, vnfeigned reuerence, and humble feare of thy Maieſtie into my heart, that the praiers which I ſhall offer vp vnto thée at this time, or at any other time héereafter, may procéed from an earneſt minde: To this end I pray thée, not onely to be preſent with me by thy holy ſpirit, but alſo thée onlie to prepare my heart vnto prayer, and to teach me to pray a right. Lord remooue farre from me, all idle diſcourſes, and wandring imaginations: and graunt me grace, O Lord, not onely to ſhake of the heauineſſe and dulneſſe which hangeth vpon this my fleſh, but giue me in ſteed thereof all ſpirituall liuelineſſe and readineſſe, that both with the heart and mouth I may powre foorth in thy preſence, ſuch earneſt, hartie, and vnfeigned ſupplications, as for Ieſus Chriſt thy ſonnes ſake, may be accepted and regarded before thée. Indéed Lord I confeſſe, that if I ſhould one the one ſide conſider mine owne ſinne, wretchednes, and pouertie: and on the other ſide reſpect the fulneſſe and excellencie of glorie, power, might, and maieſtie, which is in thée, I might iuſtlie be diſcouraged from appearing in thy ſight, or calling vppon thy name: The comforts and incouragements which thou haſt giuen me in thy holy word are theſe: Thou doeſt not onlie commaund me to call vppon thée, but haſt bound thy ſelfe vnto me in the truth of thy promiſes, that thou wilt heare my prayers, and graunt my requeſts, yea that my faith might be the more confirmed and ſtrengthened in the certaintie thereof, thou haſt ratified and ſealed the ſame by the death and bloudſhedding of thy ſonne Ieſus, in whome all thy promiſes are yea and Amen. In full and aſſured confidence whereof, I do with all boldneſſ and humilitie preſent my ſelfe before thée at this time, praying thée to couer and burie in perpetuall forgetfulneſſe, all my iniquities, to ſupplie all my wants and imperfections: and becauſe thou canſt not at any hand abide hypocriſſe: ſo to ſyft and trie my verie hart and raines, that I may be thy ſpeciall goodnes and aſſiſtance, be alwaies found ſincere and round harted in thy preſence, endeuouring euer through thy ſtrength, to fight againſt, and to bee frée from cloaking of my ſinne with hypocrites, or excuſing of my ſinne with Adam and Eua my firſt parents: but that I may vnfeinedlie, and from the bottom of my hart, confeſſe my ſinnes, with thy holy ſeruants Dauid, Paul, and manie other thy deare children, and wéepe bitterlie for them as did Peter, for if we confeſſe our ſinnes, thou art faithfull and iuſt to forgiue vs our ſinnes, and wilt cleanſe vs from all iniquitie. O Lord there are an infinite multitude of ſinnes, which I poore and miſerable wretch haue without ceaſing committed againſt thée: many are hid from my ſelfe, becauſe I remember them not, but are yet notwithſtanding preſent and naked before thine eyes: touching theſe, I pray with thy ſeruant Dauid; Cleanſe mee O Lord from ſecret faults, and kéepe thy ſeruant from preſumptuous ſinnes. An innumerable heape of others, many times I feele in my ſelfe, and my conſcience often accuſeth me of as great faintnes, coldnes, and vnwillingnes to prayer, wonderfull weakenes in faith, ouer much loue of the world, a gréedy deſire to ſatisfie mine owne vile, and carnall affections, licentiouſnes in vaine and fooliſh ſpéeches, my heart fraught almoſt full with hipocriſie, vaine glorie, and I my ſelfe giuen to inconſtancie, careleſneſſe, and ſlackneſſe, in turning by repentance to thy maieſtie, and very much neglecting my dutie towards my houſe and familie. I féele alſo in my ſelfe, a wonderfull want of earneſt zeale and ſincere loue towards thy maieſtie, which ſhould conſumethe diueliſh delights, and vile vanities of this preſent euill world: and in thée and for thée, the lack of bowels and charitable compaſſion towards my brethren, whoſe miſeries do not liuelie touch me, and whom I cannot eaſilie forgiue, if they do offend me: yea in one word, to confeſſe all my whole man, both inward and outward, is a very huge lumpe of horrible corruption, the ſoule and the body, yea euery part and péece of the ſame, both inward and outward, haue moſt vngratiouſlie broken thy holie precepts and commandements, ſo that in reſpect hereof, condemnation is due vnto me: the comfort I haue is this, that thou haſt in the aboundant riches of thy mercies, giuen thy deare ſonne to die for all my ſinnes, and to riſe for my full righteouſneſſe: for whoſe ſake Lord I beſéech thée, to pardon all my ſinnes whatſoeuer, and to make his death and reſurrection ſo effectuall in me, that I may daylie die to ſinne, and liue to righteouſnes: that by the working of thy holy ſpirit, I may fight againſt and ouer come all the former euils, and be ſtrengthened and inabled to the contrarie good things, that weakeneſſe of faith may be turned into ſtedfaſtnes and ſtrength of beléefe, that the loue of this life being ſhaken off, I may earneſtlie thirſt and breath after eternall glorie, that I may renounce mine owne will as vile and wicked, and be wholie giuen ouer to the obedience of thy moſt bleſſed will, that all idle and vnprofitable ſpéeches may be auoyded, and my wordes ſo powdred with Salt, as may bring grace and edification to the hearers, that ficklenes of minde being remooued, I may be ſtayed and ſtedfaſt in all goodnes and well dooing, that all backwardnes and ſlothfulnes in turning to thy Maieſtie, and negligence in caring for thoſe whom thou haſt committed vnto me, being vtterlie ſhaken of, I may thankfullie accept, and rightly vſe this time of gratious viſitation, which thou offereſt vnto me, both of repentance to my ſelfe, and alſo of knowledge of dutie toward other, carefullie indeuouring to bring vp thoſe, whom thou haſt committed vnto me in thy nurture and feare, hauing alwaies a diligent and watchfull eye ouer them, both for the increaſe of their knowledge, and alſo for the yeelding and ſhewing foorth of the fruits of holie conuerſation. Worke in me O Lord, with continuance and increaſe, an earneſt zeale towards thy truth and religion, and vnfeigned loue towards thy maieſtie, and an vpright affection towards the brethren. Lord let their miſeries pearſe me as mine owne, make me readie to ſuccour and comfort them with all the meanes that thou haſt beſtowed vpon me, that I may not onelie with good countenances teſtifie my good will, and with ioyfull words make their heauie harts glad, but alſo be liberall handed towards them, according to the great meaſure of graces that thou haſt beſtowed vpon me, euen to that end and purpoſe. And be • auſe without brotherlie reconciliation, neither I nor any thing which commeth from me, can be agréeable in thy ſight: I doe moſt humblie pray thée, to make me ready and willing vnfeinedlie, and from the very bottom of my hart, to forgiue thoſe that any manner of way haue treſpaſſed againſt me, as I would gladlie obtaine pardon and forgiuenes of all my ſinnes at thy merciful hands. Laſtly that it would pleaſe thee of thy great goodneſſe and mercie, to turne away mine eies from beholding vanitie, my tongue from ſpeaking fooliſhlie or vnaduiſedlie, my heart from imagining miſchiefe, my feete from running to doe that which is euill: yea ſo guide and gouerne (good Lord) euery part and member both of my bodie and of my minde, that as thou haſt created both: ſo I may in both, ſet foorth thy glorie and praiſe, in the middeſt of a froward and crooked generation. And becauſe (O Lord) I know nothing of my ſelfe, for my ignorant hart is full of darkeneſſe, I moſt humbly beſéech thee, firſt to aide me by thy grace, that I be not puffed vp in the heyght of mine owne imagination, to flatter my ſelfe that I know much, when as indéed I know verie little or nothing at all: Next, ſo direct me, that I may without weariſomnes, vſe all the holie meanes that thou haſt ſanctified in thy bleſſed word, for my grouth and continuance in ſtedfaſt faith, in ſpirituall knowledge, and ſinceare obedience, that my darkenes may be turned into light, and my ignorance into knowledge, that I may dailie learne in euery reſpect, trulie to humble and throw downe my ſelfe before the preſence of thy maieſtie, in regard of whom, not onelie I, but all the creatures in the world, are but vile duſt and aſhes. I haue not O Lord anie good thing in my ſelfe, for I am not ſufficient of my ſelfe, as of my ſelfe to thinke a good thought, much leſſe ſo do anie good thing which is acceptable in thy godlie ſight. Giue me grace good Lord, not to burie this knowledge, but continuallie to remember it, that it may ſtand me in ſtead of a ſtrong and neceſſarie weapon, to beat downe and ouerthrow the height and pride which abideth in this my fleſh: yea Lord, I further confeſſe, that ſo vile is the filthines of mine owne nature, that theſe good things which I daylie and hourelie receiue at thy mercifull hands of thy goodnes onelie, without any merit or deſert of mine at all, I do manie times, moſt wickedly prophane and abuſe, but I pray thee giue me grace, more heedelie and carefullie to looke to my walking in this and other reſpects, thou heretofore I haue doone, that theſe good and gratious gifts which thou in loue dooſt continuallie powre forth vpon me, may not be teſtimonies of iudgement againſt me, but aſſured pledges of thy loue towards me: & certeine ſeales of fruitfull obedience in me towards thy maieſtie, Graunt me grace (O deare father) to conſider of thy vnſpeakable bleſſings, and innumerable benefits beſtowed vpon me, thou haſt neuer béene wearie in keeping defending, and prouiding for me, from the very time of my conception, vntill this preſent howre, thou haſt beſtowed vpon me large gifts which I neuer either laboured for or thought of, yea ſuch a huge heape of benefits haue I receiued from thy mercifull hands, as all the dayes and times of my life, are not ſufficient inough to thinke vpon them, much leſſe to be thankfull vnto thee for them, in ſuch ſort and dutie as I ought, beſides infinite bodelie bleſſings, as health, wealth, libertie, and many other ſuch like. Thou haſt freelie beſtowed vpon me inward and ſpirituall graces, for of thine owne mercie thou haſt choſen me to life euerlaſting, before the foundations of the world were laid: and for a ſure pledge of the ſame in my conſcience, thou haſt redeemed me by the bloud of thy deare ſonne, & haſt made mine election ſure by an effectuall calling, in that of thine owne good will, then haſt begotten me vnto thy ſelfe by the word of truth, thou haſt taken me out of the power of ſathan, and tranſlated me into the kingdome of thy deare ſonne in light, and made me a partaker of his miſticall bodie with the ſaints, that I may inioy his preſence for euer. Touching which, and all other graces of thine ſo plentifullie powred foorth vpon me, I ſay with thy ſeruant Iames, that I am not worthie of the leaſt of all theſe thy mercies: yea ſo much the more vnworthy am I of them, or any of them, becauſe that though thou in the riches of thy goodnes neuer ceaſeſt to heape vp continuallie new benefits and bleſſings vppon me, I am notwithſtanding, a moſt vile wretch and miſerable ſinner, haue little or no care at all in offending thy maieſtie in mine old ſinnes, yea many times in multiplying new iniquities againſt thee: but circumciſe my heart good Lord I pray thee, and turne the affections thereof to newnes of life, and holines of conuerſation, that that hart which now is ſo hard and ſtonie, that it will not be peirced with the conſiderations and remembrances of thy manifold graces, may by the mightie working of thy bleſſed ſpirit, be ſoftened and inlarged, that I may deeplie conſider of thy mercies, and that my mouth which is greatlie ſtopped vp through ſinne and iniquitie, may of thy gratious goodnes be now at the length opened, and I both ſecretlie and openlie ſpeake forth thy praiſes.

Lord keepe me farre from murmuring, grudging, or repining at any of thy gratious and louing corrections, whether it be that thou withdraw from mee any of theſe temporall bleſſings and benefits, which moſt fauourablie thou haſt beſtowed vpon mee, or otherwiſe ſhall chaſtiſe me for the puniſhment of my ſinne, for the triall of my faith, for the manifeſtation of thy power and goodnes, or for anie other cauſe beſt knowne vnto thy heauenlie wiſdom. Thou knoweſt O Lord what is better for me then I my ſelf, and therfore good cauſe haue I in all willingnes, to ſubiect my ſelfe vnder thy mightie hand, that at the length I may be trulie exalted. Graunt me grace therefore O deare father, in all time of afflictions, pacience to poſſeſſe my ſoule, and to refer all calamities to the right end: that is, that by them I might be brought to be more neere vnto thee, and ſo learne to keepe thy commandements, and according to thy promiſe made in thy holie word: ſo I humblie beſeech thee, in the middeſt make a way out for me to eſcape, as may be moſt for thine owne glorie, and mine eternall comfort at the laſt, through Ieſus Chriſt thy ſonne, my Lord and onlie Sauiour, in whoſe name, and for whoſe ſake, I humblie craue at thy mercifull hands, theſe and all other things neceſſarie for me, concluding with that prayer that he himſelfe hath made, ſaying: O our Father, &c.