A Prayer relating to Exer­cise 1. which is to Pray without ceasing.

O God Gracious and Merciful! who givest power to the Weak, and strength to the Feeble; who knowest the backward­ness [Page 2] of my Heart, and the un­willingness of my Soul to Spi­ritual Duties; who understan­dest all my Wants, and art acquainted with all my Weak­nesses, behold how loth my Soul is to have her conversa­tion in Heaven, and what ex­cuses my Flesh makes to hin­der my mind from frequent addresses to thy Mercy-seat. I entreat thee to apply thy hea­ling Hand to my sickly Soul, and to fill it with Spiritual de­sires. Oh give me a praying Spirit, and let my Soul follow hard after thee! Teach me to make a Spiritual use of e­very thing, and instruct me to see the Creator in the Crea­ture. [Page 3] Lord, free my Spirit from the bondage of the Flesh, that it may mount up cheer­fully to thy Throne upon all occasions. Direct my Mind to look up in all my Actions, and let me take notice of the Operations of thy Hand in all occurrences whatsoever. Let thy good Spirit help my infir­mities, and when I know not what to say, my dearest Lord, suggest unto me how to fill my Mouth with Arguments. Ac­quaint me with the art of Ex­tracting good out of every thing. O that I had that Spi­ritual temper, which might in­cline me to think of God, whenever I behold the works [Page 4] of Creation and Providence! How sweet is it to walk with God! O let no company be so pleasing to me as thine! Make me desirous to embrace all opportunities to reflect on thy Perfections and Excellen­cies. Thou hast both com­manded and promised spiritual Wisdom; O bestow upon me that excellent gift, that I may know, how to glorifie thee in this world, and arrive at last to that glory which thou hast promised to them that over­come, and continue faithful unto death, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer, relating to Ex­ercise 2. which is, Every Morning to resolve to tie our selves that day to certain Rules of Living.

OThou who dwellest in the Heavens, and yet humblest thy self to behold the ways of the Children of men! Thou hast been graci­ously pleased to reveal thy Will to me, and given me Rules to walk by; Rules, which if a man follows, he [Page 6] shall live for ever. How sweet are thy Testimonies! They enlighten the Eyes, and give understanding to the Simple. How glorious is that Soul in thy sight, that makes thy Will a Lanthorn to her Feet, and a Light unto her Paths! Lord in these pleasant Paths I de­sire to walk; there is nothing like them. They end in peace. I read of those who have found it so, they could not be mi­staken. Thy Spirit inflamed their Souls. They have ven­tured their lives to attain un­to it. O the Serenity! O the Calmness of mind! O the in­ward Joy, they found by wal­king in the Paths of Righte­ousness! [Page 7] Why should not I take of this Tree of Life, as well as they, and live! This, O Lord, I often think of, and see great loveliness in all this, But my Will is weak, my Re­solutions faint: When I re­solve, I meet with Waves and Billows, that dash my resolu­tions. O thou, whose power is infinite, open thy Store-house, and furnish me with Wea­pons to defend my self against all assaults from the world, or the Devil! O strengthen these feeble Knees: Hold up these weary Hands. I desire to fol­low thee; let thy Spirit list me up, and cause me to run. Touch my Will with thy Sce­pter, [Page 8] that it may bow to thy Commands. Manifest thy Power in my weakness; give me courage to purpose, and to fulfil my purposes. When I would flinch in my resoluti­ons, do thou support me. When my Will would start back like a broken Bow, come in with thy Salvation. Endow me with power from on high; through thee I shall do valiant­ly: through thee I shall be a­ble to overcome all difficulties. O leave not my Soul in misery: Send from above and take me, draw me out of many Wa­ters; send out thine Arrows, and scatter my vain Imagina­tions. With thee I will run [Page 9] through a Troop, by my God will I leap over Walls and Impediments. Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Names sake, and for thy Righteousness sake bring my Soul out of trouble. Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God, thy Spirit is good, lead me into the Land of uprightness, for thy mercies sake, for Christ's sake.

Amen.

A Prayer, relating to Ex­ercise 3. viz. Every day to spend half an hour, or some such time, in thinking of good things.

O Thou whose Wisdom cannot by searching be found out! who hast made me a rational creature, and gi­ven me power to think of all thy wondrous Works. What excellent Objects dost thou set before me! Objects to de­light, and edifie my Soul! O that my ways were directed to [Page 11] keep thy Statutes! O that my Soul might ever dwell be­side those still Waters! O teach me the art of Medita­tion. Give me a large and ap­prehensive Mind. Awaken my slumbring Soul. Encou­rage it to fix upon adequate objects. My Soul is a Spirit, O let it delight in things agree­able to its nature. Since my Mind must be busie about something, let it be employed in things that make for its e­verlasting Peace. Oh! how fickle are my Thoughts! how inconstant my Contemplations! How soon, and how easily is my Mind drawn away from spiritual things! To thee I [Page 12] flee, O hide me to save me. Let my Treasure be in Hea­ven, that my Heart may be there also, O spiritualize my Affections, that they may de­light to be where thou art. Let spiritual Objects become lovely, amiable, and charming in my eyes. Did I love them, I should think of them: Were they dear and precious to me, how could I forbear contem­plating of them! O let their beauty appear to me. Take away the Veil from my Face, which hinders me from seeing him that's altogether lovely. Encline my heart to thy Testi­monies. Anoint mine Eyes with Eye-falve, that I may see [Page 13] greater loveliness in things that are not seen, than in those which are seen. My Under­standing is dark, O enlighten it. Clarifie it with thy Beams. Let me hate vain Thoughts; but thy Law let me love. O let me not grudge the time that I spend in Meditation. Assure me, that this is Balsom to my Soul, and that by these means the lines will fall to me in pleasant places, and I shall have a goodly Heritage. The righteousness of thy Testimo­nies is everlasting, O give me understanding and I shall live. There is Beauty, there is Satis­faction, there is Life in spiritu­al Objects. O let me find them [Page 14] sweeter than honey unto my taste. Discover those riches to me, that I may look upon them, and despise the glitter­ing Treasures of Egypt. These are deceitful things: These allure indeed, but afford no lasting comfort. O give me a fight of that Wealth, which is not liable to Corruption: I shall find it in the Myste­ries of the Gospel. Thou hast said, the pure in Heart shall see God. O purifie my Soul from fleshly Lusts which war against it, that I may see, and discern what thou hast laid up for them that fear thee: and seeing it, may long after an eter­nal [Page 15] fruition of the Light of thy Countenance, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A­men.

A Prayer relating to Exer­cise 4. viz. To study deep Humility.

O Thou Lofty and Holy one, who inhabitest E­ternity, and dwellest in the high and holy place, with him also that is of an humble spi­rit! Whether shall I go, but to thee who hast the words of eternal life! How shall I get this humble Spirit, but by thy power and influence! Ah! how proud is my Heart! how loth am I to submit to thy will! how loth to think ill of my [Page 17] self! how loth to bear inju­ries! how loth to converse with thy poor members! How loth to be sensible of my er­rours! How loth to acknow­ledge a fault! And yet all this while, I believe that thou be­holdest the proud afar off, and that nothing is more abomina­ble in thy sight! How apt am I to admire my self! How apt to harbour high conceits of my endowments! How apt to hunt after the praise of men! And what is all this but Wind? What is it but Smoak, and Air, and Vanity? How suddenly do these things grow, and how suddenly do they die again! How sensual, how carnal must [Page 18] that Soul be, that minds such things! How void of a sense of greater beauties! how little affe­cted, how little touched with the honour that comes from God! How weak in Grace! how feeble in Religion, that hath not lear­ned yet to leap over such Straws! This is my case, O Lord; I am that weak, that empty Soul, and yet unwilling to confess that I am proud, and vain, and lifted up: Pity me, O my God; make me sensible how far I am from the Kingdom of God, till Humi­lity brings me neerer. Crush whatever proud Thoughts and Desires thou spyest in me. O put me in mind of my [Page 19] Duty, whenever any vain thoughts rise in my Soul. Pull down in me all Imagina­tions that exalt themselves a­gainst Christ Jesus. O let not my Heart be haughty, nor mine Eyes lofty; neither let me exercise my self in things too high for me. Give me a sight of mine own vileness. Let me not be cheated with false colours. Let thy great­ness overaw my Soul. Let the example of my Saviour work upon me. How shall I be his Disciple, and think of my self above what I ought to think. Let God arise, and let all my vain Conceits of mine own worth be scattered. [Page 20] What am I but a handful of Dust! What am I but a Beg­gar, and thy pensioner, and who lives upon thy charity! O let these thoughts subdue my Soul. Make me as ambitious of an humble Spirit, and low­ly Mind, as others are of the greatness and admiration of the world. Humility will make me great and honourable in thy sight. Let that honour con­tent me, let that priviledge sa­tisfie my Soul. O let a deep sense of my guilt humble me; Then shall I with the Penitent Prodigal be welcome in my Fa­thers house, and my Soul shall live, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer relating to Ex­ercise 5. viz. To bri­dle our Tongues.

O God, by whom I am fear­fully and wonderfully made, who hast beset me be­hind and before, and laid thine hand upon me, such know­ledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it: How have I abused that Tongue thou hast given me to shew forth thy praise! How long have I employed it about things which do not profit! I am ashamed of it. O teach [Page 22] me to blush! O let me see how I have perverted thy gifts, and misimproved my Talents! O let me value thy Mercies bet­ter, and give me thy Grace to remember that I am not mine own. Assure me that I am bought with a Price, to shew forth the glory of him that died for me. And can I shew forth thy glory, if my tongue be not cautious of offending thee? Can it look like glo­rifying thee, if that Member, which of all the Organs of this mortal Frame, is most fitted for thy glory, fails in its duty? The volubility, quickness, nim­bleness, readiness, thou hast planted here, were all inten­ded [Page 23] to trumpet forth thy glo­rious Attributes. O my God! I will not hide thy Righteous­ness within my Heart, I will declare thy Faithfulness, and thy Salvation. I will not con­ceal thy loving Kindness and thy Truth from the great Con­gregation: Let me speak of thee with reverence and god­ly fear. Give me discretion to know how, and when, and what to speak. Lord, give me Motives and Arguments to speak as I ought to do. Let my Speech be always with Grace seasoned with Salt, that I may know how to answer e­very man. Let no corrupt Communication proceed out [Page 24] of my Mouth, but that which is good, to the use of edify­ing, that it may minister Grace unto the hearers. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my Lips. Let me keep my Mouth, as it were with a Bridle, and teach me to punish my self for my great neglect with gracious and sa­voury discourses. Let me de­light to speak of thee, and make me afraid of every idle word. Lord, rule my Tongue, and let even that member be dedicated to thy service. In all my Speeches and Answers let me study Veracity, Sobrie­ty, and Modesty. Open thou my Lips, O Lord, and let my [Page 25] Tongue be filled with thy praise all the day long, and in the night season let me not be silent. Fill me with a pro­found sense of the great day of Account, when my Words will be examined as well as my Actions. Season my Tongue with conscientiousness, and let me not be rash with my Lips. Let my Heart smite me, when I am going to speak things, which are not after thy Law. Let thy Statutes be my Songs in the house of my pilgrimage, and let the Law of thy mouth be better unto me than thou­sands of Gold and Silver.

A­men.

A Prayer, relating to Ex­ercise 6. viz. To watch against little Sins.

O Thou who art of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity with the least appro­bation! How have I been de­ceived! how have I been im­posed upon by the World and my treacherous Heart! How se­curely have I wallowed in lesser sins, and made a mock of them. I see, Lord, what circumspection is necessary in a Christian-life. I re­pent of making so light of things which have been offensive, and [Page 27] contrary to thy Holiness. Fool that I was, to imagine that a­ny thing can be trivial and light which thou hast forbid! Can any Order or Precept pro­ceed from thee, but what is the product of eternal deliberation? Can any thing be needless which thou set'st thy Hand & Seal to? What low thoughts must I have of thy Wisdom! What mean conceptions of thy Omnisci­ence, if I harbour such Ima­ginations! Dull blockish crea­ture that I am, when every Law thou makest, and every Work thou doest, and every Providence that comes to pass, is done according to the eter­nal counsel of thy Will, built [Page 28] upon the strongest Pillars of Reason, and is an effect of the brightest, clearest, and most unbyassed Understanding, how can any thing be little and in­considerable that thou do'st command. But alas! These are but the pretences of my Lusts! they are loth to be de­prived of their pleasures, and therefore suggest such feeble Arguments. A little sin! what nonsence is there in that word! Why shouldest thou prohibit it? why shouldest thou warn, entreat, and beseech me not to do it, but that thou who knowest all things, knowest it to be prejudicial to my Soul. It's a sign I esteem, I prize [Page 29] thee not. Did I truly look upon thee as the loveliest Be­ing, and my onely and greatest Benefactor, I should be afraid of a disorderly thought. O let me never judge of sin any more by the sickly fancies of carnal men, but by the holi­ness of thy Nature: And as thou, my God, who hast cal­led me, art holy, so let me be holy in all manner of Conver­sation. O let me not dally with sin any more, nor make sport with it because the world calls it little, but let it be suf­ficient to me, that thou my God dislikest it, and make me entirely conformable to thy Will. Give me, O thou gi­ver [Page 30] of every good thing, just apprehensions of my duty. In­crease my love to thy Name, and my hatred of sin will en­crease. O that I were more ravished with thy beauty! how odious would every thing be to me that is injurious to thy Glory! O the infinite obli­gations I have to love thee, and yet how cold is my Heart! and because it is cold, I startle at nothing but the greater sins. O let me remember that I am a Christian, and have vowed my self to thy service, and let me serve thee in keeping even of the least of thy Command­ments. Discover to me the equity and reasonableness of [Page 31] every Precept, that I may plead no excuses, no impedi­ments, but break through all obstacles, to express my love. O let me esteem all thy Pre­cepts concerning all things to be right, and let me hate every false way. Nothing can be lovely that thou forbiddest. Nothing can be sound that thou accusest of rottenness. Nothing can be safe that thou warnest me against! I have found the ways of sin false indeed; false as Hell. When I have thought to step into the bed of pleasure, I have rush'd into a Gulph of misery. When I have hoped to fill my self with content and satisfaction, [Page 32] I have run into Briars and Thorns, and filled my Heart with heaviness, and I find I have been flattered into ruine. O let me dread the very ap­pearance of evil, and be thou my everlasting sweetness, my everlasting delight, my ever­lasting comfort, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer relating to Ex­ercise 7. viz. To keep a strict guard over our Eyes.

O Thou whose Eyes are like flames of fire, and whose Feet like Brass glow­ing in a Furnace, who art brigh­ter than the Sun, & clearer than the Stars, whose eyes run to and fro through the world to shew thy self strong in the behalf of those whose Heart is upright before thee: I have deserved that no eye should [Page 34] pity me, because I have not used my sight with that Mode­ration, Modesty, Decency, and Piety thou justly requirest of me. I have had Eyes, and have not seen those things I should have taken notice of: it were just with thee to strike me blind, and to deprive me of that mercy which I have so often turned into wantonness! I have stared upon objects that have inflamed my Lusts, irrita­ted my Passions, and kindled Hell fire in my Breast. Ah! what impure, what disorderly thoughts have I let in through these windows! Wonder, O my Soul, that Vengeance hath not pulled them out, or that dark­ness [Page 35] hath not yet seized on them. What discontent, what mistrust of thy Providence, what Pride, what Envy, what Malice, what Revenge hath crept into my Soul through these Glasses! How ill a use have I made of the gift of God! How have I dishonou­red my Creator with these eyes! How covetous, how vain, how sensual hath my sight of the riches and pleasures of the world made me! O look upon me, and have mercy on me. Open thou mine eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of thy Law. O let no­thing be so pleasant to mine eyes as thy marvellous works. [Page 36] Teach me to see thee in thy Providence, and in thy works of Grace and Nature. O let me remember that where-ever I am, I am before the eye of thy glory, and let mine eyes be ever toward the Lord. If my right eye offend me, let me pull it out. Give me courage to turn away mine eyes from beholding Vanity, when that Vanity would make me ena­moured with the world. Quic­ken the eyes of my mind, that I may behold thy Power and Glory, as I have seen it in the Sanctuary. Shew me the dan­ger of walking in the fight of mine Eyes, and guide me by thine Eye. Destroy in me all [Page 37] lofty looks, and the Lust of the eye do thou remove far from me. See O Lord, and consider my wants, and teach me to offer unto thee my reasonable ser­vice. Let my outward as well as inward man be thy servant. O let me see, and taste, how sweet and how gracious thou art. Thou hast given me my Eye-sight, Cause me to see thy Salvation; and let me see that I walk circum­spectly, as wise men, and not as Fools, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Con­sider, and hear me. O Lord my God, lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. Keep me as the apple of thine [Page 38] eye, hide me under the shadow of thy Wings: Then shall I behold thy Face in righteous­ness, I shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness. O glorious sight, when I shall see thee as thou art; how ra­vishing will that prospect be! How transporting that Vision! O let me not miss of it! O let me not lose that charming spe­ctacle! I will look upon thee here. I will behold thee in the blessings I enjoy. I will see thee in thy Mercies, and admire thee. I will look to my self, that I may not erre from thy Commandments. I will look for the new Hea­vens and the new Earth, where­in [Page 39] dwells righteousness. I will look up, and please my self with the thoughts of Mount Sion, which fades not away. I will look unto the Lord, that I may be enlightened, and my face may not be ashamed, tho­rough Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer relating to Ex­ercise 8. viz. To make good use of the Virtues & Vices of our Neighbours.

MOst Merciful Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth, who hast given me a Soul apt to be led by Exam­ples, and hast set most excel­lent Patterns before me, that I might follow their steps, en­cline my Heart, I beseech thee, to consider the large provision thou hast made for my better [Page 41] part, and let me not stand in mine own light, and continue blind in the midst of so many shining and burning lights. A­rise, O Lord, and deliver me from the wicked, from the men which are thy hand, O Lord, from the men of the world, who have their portion in this Life, and whose Bel­lies thou fillest with thy hid Treasure. O let me see with other eyes than carnal men do see. O raise my Mind, and carry it up to the holy Mount, to the Mount of God, and from thence let me behold the portion of thy Children, of those excellent souls, that de­spise the world, and labour for [Page 42] honour and immortality. Dis­cover to me the comforts and satisfactions they enjoy in thy Bosom; and how thou makest them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures. Let their Faith encourage me to believe in hope, against hope, that as they are made perfect in love, so I may be perfect too, and may be one with thee, even as thou and they are one. I cannot have a better example than thy self, O make me par­taker of thy divine Nature. Give me a holy ambition to be like thee. Make me mer­ciful, as my Father in Heaven is merciful. O let that mind be in me, which was also in [Page 43] Christ Jesus. O Jesu attract my Soul with thy beauty. Teach me to tread in thy steps. Let thy example be ever be­fore me, and where-ever I am, let me do nothing unworthy of it. If I follow thee, I can­not erre: Thou art the way, the truth, and the life. Lord do thou appear very amiable to my Soul, that this sight may constrain me to learn of thee. Transcribe thy Graces on my Soul, and Life, that my Con­versation may shew that I am thy Disciple indeed, resolved to live, and die, and rise with thee to eternal Glory. Give me the Spirit of St. Paul: Give me the excellent temper of [Page 44] those Saints, who through Faith subdued Kingdoms, wrought Righteousness, ob­tained Promises, stopped the mouths of Lyons, quenched the violence of the Fire, out of weakness were made strong, and were tortured, not acce­pting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurre­ction. O deny me not the same Spirit of Faith, that at last I may obtain the end of my Faith, the salvation of my Soul, through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer, relating to Ex­ercise 9. viz. To put a charitable interpre­tation upon what we see or hear.

O God, who art infinitely compassionate, and cha­ritable Love it self, and Good­ness it self! Ah! how selfish is my Heart! To whom shall I complain, but to thee, who alone canst heal me! Thou hast Balm, thou hast Plaisters for all Sores, Medicines for all Diseases. Thy Store-house is [Page 46] full of Blessings. How un­charitable are my Thoughts sometimes! How censorious my Tongue! How apt am I to think and speak ill of my Neighbour! How doth my Blood boyl with revengeful desires, when either a real, or an imaginary injury is offered me! O thou God of Peace, O Father of mercy! melt, melt this stubborn Heart; how loth is it to yield to thy injunctions! I am encompassed with all the rays of Gods charity imagina­ble. Thou bearest with me, when I deserve punishment, thou dealest not with me after my sins, neither rewardest me after mine iniquities. Even [Page 47] my best Actions thou mightest justly except against; but thy Charity covers a multitude of faults. How often do I provoke thee, and yet thou shootest not thine Arrows at me. I transgress thy Laws, I affront thee, I am an unprofi­table Servant, yet thou pitiest me, and do'st not suffer thy displeasure to arise against me. In the midst of my follies thou art kind, not that thou appro­vest of them, but that thou wouldest lead me to Repen­tance. O let me think of this, and let me love my Neighbour with a pure heart fervently; spread thy Wings over me. Form in me bowels of Mer­cy. [Page 48] Come Charity, thou love­ly grace. Come into my Gar­den, my Spouse, my Beloved! O thou celestial Husbandman, plant this wholesome Herb in my barren ground. Pull up the Weeds that grow there. Ba­nish from me all sourness of Spirit: Let all bitterness and wrath die in me. Let all ma­lice flee away from my Soul. Rid me of that ill nature which lodges in me. Let gentleness and meekness be the welcome guests in my Heart. Make me peaceable and tractable, easie to be intreated, full of good works, ready to forgive. Let the Charity of the Lord Jesus be my guide, and let me [Page 49] truly follow the Lamb whe­thersoever he goes. O Jesu! Can I after thy Charity to my Soul, be unkind to others! Can I be churlish, morose, and ill-natured, when I remember how thou diedst for thy Ene­mies! I believe thou interce­dest for me in Heaven! what favourable constructions must I suppose are put upon my Actions in that intercessi­on! When Satan accuses me in the presence of God, and hath but too much reason for those Accusations, thou plead­est thy Merits, thy Wounds, and thy Fathers Love. Where my infirmities will bear excuses, thou qualifiest them, and suf­ferest [Page 50] not the Enemy to have his will of me. O let thy great example be ever before me, and when I would forget it, represent it in lively colours to my Mind, that I may be thy Disciple indeed; and ha­ving lived in Love and Chari­ty here, may at last arrive in the Paradise of everlasting love.

Amen.

A Prayer, relating to Exer­cise 10. viz. Conscien­tiously to discharge the duties of our several Callings & Relations.

MOst glorious God! who hast fitted thy holy and wholesome Laws to my Wants and Necessities, and in commanding me, dost consult my interest and advantage more than thy profit and glo­ry; How am I bound to praise and magnifie thy bounty! [Page 52] Thou hast taught me how to live and behave my self in all conditions, and to make me a Souldier compleatly armed, hast chalked out to me the particular steps, I am to tread. As these are part of the bles­sings of thy right hand, so let my Soul admire them above those of thy left. Whatever Estate I am in, whatever Re­lation, Calling, Station I stand in, give me Grace to adorn it with a suitable Conversation. Teach me how to behave my self wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me! O let me remember, that in the Calling thou hast placed me in, thou hast called [Page 53] me to certain duties, of which thou wilt take an account one day. O convince me that I am not called to idleness, but to labour in thy Vineyard. When my carnal heart would baulk the work, thou hast set me, in the station I am in, let thy good Spirit crush my un­willingness, and manifest his power in my weakness. I am backward to any thing that re­quires pains and circumspe­ction, but renew thou a right Spirit within me. Be thou ex­alted Lord, above the Hea­vens, and thy glory above all the Earth. If thou wilt but appear in my Soul, every thing will yield, and every rebellious [Page 54] Lust will bow to thy Maje­sty. Nothing can resist thy Omnipotence, and what­ever desire in me hath been hitherto refractory and rebel­lious, will be frighted at thy presence, and either retire, or become subject to thy power. O prepare Mercy and Truth, which may preserve me, and my mouth shall sing of thy Righteousness. O let me re­member that every new rela­tion brings a new obligation upon me; and that if I re­gard not that obligation, I am unfaithful to my God. In e­very condition, in every rela­tion let me consider the duties incumbent upon me, and make [Page 55] me zealous to discharge them. Let not the example of others, whose Consciences are seared, tempt me to neglect them. O tell my Soul, that it's better to have thy favour, than the applause of men; and teach me to act according to that rule, that the peace of God may be upon me, as it is upon the whole Israel of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer, relating to Ex­ercise 11. viz. To re­sist all sorts of Temptations.

O Lord of Hosts! who is a strong Lord like un­to thee, or to thy faithful­ness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the Sea, when the Waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. Thou seest what temptations I am encom­passed with, what Enemies surround me, and how I am [Page 57] beset with Dangers. Extend thy Mercy to me, and send from above and take me. De­liver me from my strong Ene­my, and from them which hate me. Leave me not to the rage of Temptations, nei­ther give me up to the will of those that persecute my Soul. I will arise, O God, and fight the good fight. Teach me what Temptations are, and give notice to my Soul when I am in danger. I know, O Lord, all Places, Callings, and Employments bring Tempta­tions with them! How dili­gent, how watchful ought I to be, that I do not get a fall, and that mine Enemy rejoyce [Page 58] not over me. Yet I will not be afraid, if thou art with me, I may defie all that are against my Soul to destroy it: For thou Lord, wilt bless the righteous, and with thy fa­vour thou wilt compass him, as with a Shield. Up Lord! and pluck thy Hand out of thy Bosom: Enable me to put on the whole Armour of God. Gird about me the Sword of the Spirit, and with that let me recover the glory I have lost in Adam's Fall. O God, I will cry day and night unto thee; give me Wisdom and Resolution to secure thy Fa­vour. I cannot secure it, ex­cept I hate those that hate [Page 59] thee, and am grieved with those that rise up against thee. O Lord, mine own Flesh, and the World, and Messengers from Hell, are confederate a­gainst thee. O teach my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. My Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my God, my Strength, in whom I will trust, my Buckler, and the Horn of my Salvation, and my high Tower, cover my head in the day of Battle. Let mine eye see my desire on the tempta­tions which annoy me. Hear my voice out of thy Temple, and let my cry come before thee, even into thine Ears. Arm me with Arguments; sug­gest [Page 60] unto me Reasons, where­by I may answer, and resist the evil motions which would se­duce my Soul. Give me pow­er to climb thy holy Hill: When I faint, Lord support me; when I grow weary, fur­nish me with fresh motives to hold on; when I would go back, perswade me to press toward the mark; when I fall, let thy Angels bear me up in their hands. O thou that hast done great things for me, marvellous things on this side Heaven, streng­then my Faith, that I may en­dure temptation, and being tri­ed, may receive the Crown of righteousness, which thou hast [Page 61] promised to them that love thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer relating to Exer­cise 12. viz. To stand in awe of God, when we are alone, and no Creature sees us.

O Lord, thou hast sear­ched me, and known me; thou knowest my down­sitting and mine up-rising; thou understandest my thoughts afar off; thou compassest my Path, and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. I beseech thee o­veraw [Page 63] me with thy presence. O that thou wert in all my thoughts! O how sweet, how delightful, how glorious art thou! Could I always think of thee, how poor would the World, and all things in it, seem in mine eyes! For tru­ly thou art fairer than the Children of men! and all the Excellencies and Perfections that are found in the Crea­ture, are most eminently con­centred in thee; for thou ma­dest them, thou maintainest them, thou preservest them, and thou art the Spring, the Fountain, from which all those lesser Rivers flow. Thou art bright, amiable, charming to [Page 64] a miracle; and in thee is all that Reason can wish, and the Understanding can desire! And did I look upon thee more, I should be so de­lighted with thy Beauty, that sin would be loathsome to me. I sin against thee, because I lose the sight of thee. The eye of my understanding was given me on purpose to look upon thee! O let me use it to that end! When I am loth to look upon thee, Lord press thou into my thoughts, that I may not be able to shake off thy presence. If I see thee, I shall not dare to offend thee: Who would offend so dear a friend, if he look upon [Page 65] him? When any sin would insinuate into my affections, O call to me, and say, Thy God is here, and that charming Name will withold me from those crooked ways. I remem­ber Lord, when my flesh hath sometimes prevailed with me to transgress thy known Laws, I have been forced to banish thee from my mind, before I could act against thee. Hence forward be thou ever with me. Let no base objects intervene betwixt my sight and thy glo­rious self; or if they do, help me to look off, and to return to my center. Make strong impressions of thy omniscience and omnipresence upon my [Page 66] heart, that no sensual object, no pleasing Temptation, no Deceit, no Flattery, may rob me of my integrity. At the brightness of thy presence, let all mine Enemies vanish, and be thou my Conquerour, my Tri­umph, my Beauty, and my Glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer relating to Exer­cise 13 viz. To do all things to Gods glo­ry.

O God, who is like unto thee, glorious in Holi­ness, fearful in Praises, doing Wonders! Thy glory is the end of all created Beings. Thou art deckt with Beauty and Glory, glorious is thy Name, and to glorifie thee is not onely our duty, but our glory and interest too. O let my heart be toucht with a [Page 68] sense of thy glory. O let me admire the glory of thy King­dom. If thou wouldest vouch­safe to display thy glory in my benighted Soul, how should I despise this miserable world! How should I scorn the lust of the Eye, and the lust of the Flesh, and the pride of Life! I have talked of thy Glory, but O how little have I almed at it in my actions! What base and sinister ends and de­signs have I had, even in my Devotions and religious Ser­vices! O Father of mercy, purifie my intentions, rectifie my designs; give me a right aim in all things. I am sent into the world to advance thy [Page 69] Glory. O let it not be said that I sought mine own glory! How great is thy goodness, that thou wilt employ so wretched a creature in pro­moting thy Glory, who can'st live without me, and be hap­py and glorious without me! O glorifie my Soul, that I may glorifie thee! In all the Blessings, in all the Mercies I enjoy, let me give thee all the glory. What have I, that I have not re­ceived? Why then should I glory as if I had not recei­ved it? O let me study how I may do good in my Gene­ration. Let the Spirit of Glory, and of Christ, rest [Page 70] upon me! O Father of Glo­ry, let me see what is the glo­ry of thine inheritance. O­pen thou my Lips, O Lord, and my Mouth shall shew forth thy Praise. Guide me by thy Counsel here, and here­after receive me into glory. O that this Heart of mine were more spirituallized. It is carnal, sensual, taken with the gayeties of this life. It admires thee not. It doth not esteem thee above all Trea­sures, and therefore I do not seek thy Glory as I ought to do. Therefore I evade the Obligation, and pretend, that I have no Parts, no Abili­ties to advance thy Glory [Page 71] in this present world. O wret­ched Creature that I am, Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death! Lord speak the word, and deliver me from my self. As­sure me that the degrees of future Glory will be pro­portioned to the degrees of my advancing thy Glory here. O let me abound in good Works, and let do­ing good be my greatest delight, for as much, as I know, my labour is not in vain in the Lord. It can­not be in vain. Thou hast promised it, and thou wilt do it. I believe, Lord, help [Page 72] mine Unbelief, thorough Je­sus Christ our Lord.

A­men.

A Prayer relating to Ex­ercise 14 viz. To stir up and exercise the Graces God hath given us.

O God, thou art a strong Rock, and a strong Ha­bitation! How excellent is thy loving kindness, therefore the Children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy Wings! O my God, how have I contented my self with very low degrees of Vertue! I have been afraid of doing [Page 74] too much for Heaven, and sa­tisfied my self too often with shadows of Goodness! Thou art not wanting to us, if we are not wanting to our selves. Thou art ready to quicken us, ready to enlighten us, rea­dy to succour us in all our di­stresses and necessities. O thou that art a strong Tower to all them that run unto thee. Take care of my immortal Soul: if thou wilt charge thy self with her welfare, I shall be safe. I have been very slothful hi­therto. I have lost much time, many opportunities, many ad­vantages of a Spiritual life. I know I must grow on to a perfect man in Christ Jesus. [Page 75] Thou doest not allow me to stand still! Thou biddest me work like a man that knows what an endless Glory means. O purifie me from all sin. Lord Jesu! give me the fer­vour of thy Spirit, that I may bee filled with spiritual Wis­dom and Understanding; and for the glory set before me, may be content to do, and suffer cheerfully, whatever in thy Wisdom thou shalt think fit to charge me with. Come Lord! make a Reformation in this poor, blind, distressed, miserable Soul; my Faith is weak, my Hope is weak, my Love is weak, my Charity is weak. One word of thy [Page 76] mouth would put vigour and life into me. The same Word that made the Sun shine out in the first Creation, would make my Graces bright, and that Sentence, Let there be Light, spoken to my Soul, would change the dark Chaos into a Globe of light. O make goodness habitual in my Soul. O that it might be an everlasting inhabitant in me! O that my Soul might become its proper Seat, its Palace, its Tabernacle, from which it might never depart! Ah! how inconstant is my Zeal! Hot I am to day, and cold to morrow. Sometime I seem to lay force on the everlasting [Page 77] Kingdom; a little while after I fall in love again with the world. O destroy this weed of inconstancy in my Garden. All this comes from the weak­ness of my Vertues. Hence it is, that I am not the same eve­ry where: And I that am bold in one place to stand up for thy glory, am a Coward in a­nother. Where is thy migh­ty Arm, O Lord! Where are thy Bowels! Fill my langui­shing Soul with strength from above, and with wisdom from above, that I may encrease, and abound more and more in love. Perfect what thou hast begun in me. Let Meekness, and Humility, and all the gra­ces [Page 78] of the Holy Ghost become natural to me. O that they were incorporated with my temper! O that they were so riveted into my Soul, that I might not be able to act con­trary to them! O that I might find as great a reluctan­cy, when I am tempted to neg­lect them, as formerly I found when thy Spirit commanded me to performe them! O how sweet a frame do these Gra­ces put the Soul into! O that I could say, that thus it is with me! Sweet Jesu, be not tired with taking pains with this miserable Soul! Thou hast been prodigiously kind to me, O be not weary of being [Page 79] farther gracious & favourable! O let me find by blessed experi­ence, that I grow in Grace, and that thy Commandments are no longer grievous to me, that every thing in thy service be­comes more easie, and that, what formerly was a burden to me, is now pure pleasure and delight to my Soul. O my God, gild my Soul once more with thy radiant Beams, and establish my heart unblamable in Holiness at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

A Prayer, relating to Ex­ercise 15. viz. Every night before we go to bed to call our selves to an ac­count for the A­ctions of the day.

O God, who searchest the Heart and the Reins! How deceitful is my Heart! How many are the ways that lead to destruction! How in­numerable are the Wiles of the Devil! yet by thy light [Page 81] they may all be discovered, and their danger perceived, and their ill intent laid open. How small an Atome doth the bright light of the Sun make visible! Therefore that light which thou vouchsafest to an humble mind must be suppo­sed far more effectual to ma­nifest all the Stratagems of the powers of darkness. O my God, make me willing to see the designs of my Spiritual Enemies against me, that I may resist them, oppose, and over­come them. My Heart is a Field where many Tares are mix'd with the wholesome Wheat. If I search not, how shall those Tares be rooted up? [Page 82] If I examine not, what can I expect, but that like the Field of the slothful, and like the Vineyard of the man void of Understanding, it will be all grown over with Thorns, and Nettles will cover the face thereof. Shall I say, a little sleep, a little more slumber, till my Poverty come on like an armed man? O my God, let my greatest care be, that thou and my Soul be friends. But how shall I know thou art my Friend, except I examine my Soul, and see what tokens of thy love I find there. O let me not be afraid to know my Thoughts, my Words, my A­ctions, my Inclinations. If I [Page 83] know they are evil, I may re­form them: If I find they are good, I may rejoyce in them. O teach me the art of search­ing my heart. Let me not continue a stranger to my self. Let it be a pleasure to me to take notice how I thrive in Grace. Let me know my dan­ger. O keep me from wan­dring in the dark. Let me see how I go astray, that I may get into the right way again. Convince me of the easiness and pleasantness of this task. O let me not think it a burthen to my Soul. I have dwelt too long in the Suburbs of Reli­gion, O perswade me to enter into the City which hath foun­dations. [Page 84] Let the reward that is before me be a strong mo­tive to me, to put on the whole Armour of God. O how sweet will it be to me to see thy assistances, the incomes of thy Grace, the influences of thy Spirit, my progress in good­ness, the abatement of my sins, the decay of my corruptions, and my nearer approach to Heaven. If I examine my heart, all this will be made ma­nifest to me; for thou wilt teach me the way of life, and in thy light I shall see light, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer, relating to Ex­ercise extraordinary 1. viz. To enter into solemn Vows and Promises.

O Blessed Jesu! to whom I have so often promi­sed Faithfulness, and Allegi­ance, and Obedience! How justly mayest thou look upon me, betwixt pity and anger, as thou didst upon Peter when he had most shamefully de­nied thee! And O that thy [Page 86] looks might have the same ef­fect upon me, that they had upon thy Apostle, and I might weep bitterly! For how light have I made of my most so­lemn Promises! How have I sought to impose upon thee. O my God! How have I evaded the obligations my reso­lutions have laid upon me, and sometimes downright broke those Promises! Ah trea­cherous creature that I am! how can I expect thou shoul­dest perform thy Promises made to me, when I am so care­less of observing and perfor­ming of mine to thee! Thou art of infinite patience, there­fore I am not yet destroyed. [Page 87] Hence forward, when I pro­mise thee, let thy Majesty, Greatness, Justice, and Holi­ness prevail with me to break with thee no more. O let me not think because thou art si­lent, and doest not presently punish my perfidiousness, that thou art altogether such a one as my self. O instruct me, that I may entertain greater thoughts of thee! If I en­ter into a Vow at any time, assist me powerfully with thy Spirit, that I may act accor­ding to the word that is gone out of my Lips. As I make thee my Judge and Witness in my Vows, so let me re­member that my Witness is [Page 88] omniscient, and my Judge hath Magazines of Vengeance at command. Let me un­dergo any inconvenience ra­ther than be false to my Engagements. O keep me by thy Mighty Power, that my heart may be treacherous no more. O let me remember what Mercies I expect at thy hands, and let me not for­feit my Right to thy Fa­vour. When I binde my Soul, let me think that no­thing can untie it but thy self. O preserve in my mind a just sense of my Duty, and of the necessity of pleasing thee. Let me abhor every [Page 89] thought that would prompt me to violate this Sacred Bond. O let me look upon it as a most holy thing, and let me dread all prophanati­on of it. As I designe, O Lord, by these Vows to bring up my Will to thy Will, so be thou entrea­ted to second my designes, and to keep my Soul, that I yield not to Temptations of perfidiousness, but may Triumph over my Corrupti­ons, and be more than a Conquerour thorough him that loved me, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with thee, and the Holy Spirit, [Page 90] be all Honour and Glory, World without end.

A­men.

A Prayer relating to Ex­ercise extraordinary 2. viz. To subdue the Body by Fasting.

O Holy and most Merci­ful Saviour, who hast given us the best Religion, the wholesomest Rules of living, the most equitable Precepts that were ever given to the children of men; while I ad­mire thy Mercy, I cannot but bewail mine own Misery. While I wonder at thy good­ness and tenderness to my Soul, [Page 92] I cannot but deplore my back­wardness to the stricter Duties of Christianity! How loth am I to curb this Body! How loth to bring my Flesh in sub­jection! How apt am I to flat­ter my self, that Heaven will come cheaper, than at the price of Mortification! O when will these vain Imagina­tions leave me! When shall I get the temper of thy dearest Servants! How sla­vishly do I serve thee! How apt am I to make Bargains with thee, and to limit my o­bedience. I want that free, that Princely Spirit, that fer­vent love, which may think nothing too good for Heaven. [Page 93] Lord, shew me the vanity of my over tenderness to this dy­ing Body. I am sensible, that when I feed it high, it teaches my Soul to rebel against thee! O let me not be afraid of the Arguments it gives me to spare my self. These are but pre­tences, the designe is to pre­serve its own ease and quiet in Sin, and Vanity. Let me see through all these Cobwebs, and perswade me to keep under my Body, lest I be­come a cast away: Let my Fasts have those good ef­fects upon me, which they have had upon thy Saints of old. Let my Lusts dye, my Corruptions decay, my Va­nities [Page 94] become odious to me. Let Holiness become sweet, the Light of thy Countenance pleasant, and the Influences of thy Grace ravishing to my Soul. Let my abstinence from Food work in me abstinence from evil. Let it prove a means to make my Prayers fer­vent, my Devotion quick, my Mind clear, my Affections live­ly, that I may at last enjoy the Festivals of Angels, and eat and drink with my blessed Ma­ster at his Table, in his King­dom; then shall I fast from sin for ever; then shall I fast from all Temptations. Then shall I hunger no more after the meat that perisheth: Then shall I [Page 95] thirst no more after the mud­dy Streams of sensual Satisfa­ctions. Then my hunger shall be refined into fruition, my thirst exalted into Enjoyments, such as Abana, and Pharpar cannot give, and the Rivers of Damascus, and of Jordan too fall short of; then I shall need no Provision for this Body. Then my Flesh will long no more after forbidden fruit, then I shall feed on thy love for e­ver; that will be my Meat and Drink, that will be better tome than all the Trees of a terre­strial Paradise; that will nou­rish me more than Milk and Honey; that will give me a more cheerful Countenance [Page 96] than the bloud of the Grape; then I shall need to take care no more about what I shall eat, or what I shall drink, or wherewithal I shall be cloathed. Righteousness will be my Gar­ment then, and Holiness, ever­lasting Holiness, my Robe of Glory.

Amen, Amen.

A Prayer, relating to Ex­ercise extraordinary 3. viz. To use Watch­ing, or Abstinence from Sleep.

O God, incomprehensible and glorious, whose Pro­vidence watches over me day and night, O Shepherd of Is­rael, who neither slumberest nor sleepest, and whose Eyes are always open for my good. What hard thoughts have I had of thy service! How un­wieldy have I been under thy [Page 98] stricter Precepts! How afraid have I been to hurt my self! What pains have I taken for the World, and how irk some have thy Precepts been to my Soul! O let it suffice that I have so long followed mine own will, and for the future, let even thy severest Laws be my delight and comfort. Thou hast given me thine onely Son to die for my sins, and can I after this mercy, think much of denying my self in mine ease for thy service? O teach me to use moderation in all things, and even in my sleep to ex­press my self-denial! I know, O Lord, that without the assi­stance of thy Spirit, my Na­ture [Page 99] is slothful, and my Temper backward to such mortifica­tions. To thee I come there­fore, with humble Desires, with fervent Affections, and with earnest Entreaties, that thou wouldest conquer the Flesh in me, and crush that Re­bel by thy power. Since I can use self-denial in sleep up­on a Temporal account, O let it not be said of me, that up­on a Spiritual account I could not watch. O let my actions shew, that thou art dearer to me than the World, and that I love thee better than Father or Mother, and my self too. When all I have is thine, how shall I not part [Page 100] with something that's dear to me for thy sake! O let me not lose my life while I seek to save it, but be confident that if I lose my life for thy sake, I shall finde it. Thou art the Resurrection and the Life, if I sincerely believe in thee, though I were dead, yet shall I live. O let me live, that I may praise thy Name, and whether I live or whe­ther I die, let me live and die in the Lord Jesus. Give me a sight of the Eternal watchfulness of Angels. They sleep not. They are never oppressed with drowsiness. They sing Eternally, and slum­ber [Page 101] not. That's the Com­pany, that's the glorious So­ciety I would fain be in. O happy day! O blessed time! when I shall watch in thy House for ever! When I shall watch in the Quire, where nothing is known, no­thing is loved, nothing is delighted in, but God bles­sed for evermore. O my God, as the Eyes of Servants look unto the Hand of their Master; and as the Eyes of a Maiden look unto the Hand of her Mistress, so mine Eyes waite upon Thee, O Lord, until thou have mercy up­on me, and bring me into [Page 102] the Regions of eternal Bright­ness, thorough Jesus Christ.

Amen.

A Prayer relating to Ex­ercise extraordinary 4. viz. To apply our selves to Self-Re­venge.

O God to whom Venge­ance belongs, shew thy self. My sins are mine Ene­mies, my Corruptions the Foes that persecute me, O shew me thy Salvation. My sensual De­sires plead for tenderness, and because they would not be dis­pleased, they suggest Motives and Reasons why I should [Page 104] spare my self. They regard not what becomes of my Soul hereafter; and so they can but enjoy present rest, they think not of the Torments that will follow. But my Soul sees how the Scene will change, when God shall come to Judgment. O my God, I am in danger! let me spare no cost, no pains to be free from it. Where gentler means will not free me from the Corruptions which do so easily beset me, O let me not be afraid of using more violent remedies. O that I were but more concerned a­bout the Life to come! O that I had more lively aprehen­sions of it! O that I had [Page 105] that view of the Terrours of the Lord, that my Soul might be convinced of the necessity of taking the Kingdom of Heaven by violence! I am sensible of the hurt, my Lusts and Passions have done me: Fill my Soul, O God, with a holy rage against them, that I may drive them out by force, when softer Perswasions will do no good. Had not I bet­ter endure some inconvenience here, than be forced at last to make Tears my meat day and night to all Eternity! O per­swade me to lose all rather than the Joys set before me! Shall I see thy Saints, who had the clearest apprehensions of thy [Page 106] Will, run, and sweat, and toil for a future Bliss, and shall I imagine, that laziness will pro­cure that Kingdom? O Lord leave me not. Bid me rise, and strive to apprehend that for which I am also apprehen­ded of Christ Jesus. I fight under the Banner of the best of Princes, O let me so run that I may obtain, and hear the voice of the Bridegroom, En­ter into thy Masters Joy. This will recompence all. If I ar­rive to this, I shall be no loser by thy Service. I have fol­lowed the World too long, and have got nothing but va­nity and vexation of Spirit. It promised me much, but my [Page 107] Soul is empty still. If once I ascend into that City, where all tears shall be wiped away, where I shall not need the light of the Sun, and Moon, and Stars, where God himself is the everlasting Light: What­ever Troubles, whatever Mise­ries I went through here, they will all be forgotten, they will all be swallowed up, they will all be lost in that vast Ocean of Light and Glory. O make me weary of this Wilder­ness. I have wandred too long in this desert. Heaven is my home. Let that en­gross my Desires, my Hopes, my Expectations, my Joy, my Love, my Affections. I am a [Page 108] stranger upon Earth, let me live like a stranger here. Draw me, draw me, thou everlasting Magnet, that I may cling to thee, and neither Death, nor Life, neither Prosperity, nor Adversity, neither the Smiles, nor the Frowns of the World, may separate me from that Love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for Sunday-Morning, relating to the Meditation on Sunday. Exercise 3.

O God! thou most sweet, thou most lovely Ob­ject! How little do those glo­rified [Page 110] Saints that enjoy thee in the other world, regard our little pleasures and satisfactions here! O that my Soul were with those Spirits of men made perfect! I see nothing in this valley of Tears that's worth desiring or breathing after. The Beatitude to come, is that, I long for. What are the glories of this World, to that glory, which e'erlong shall be revealed in us! The magnificence of Triumphs, the pomp of Princes the curiosity of Palaces, the beauty of the Sun, the brightness of the Moon, the glistering of the Stars, the variety of Flowers, the fragrancy of Herbs, what [Page 111] are all these to the Joys & Glo­ries at thy right hand for ever­more! One day in thy Courts above, is sweeter than a thou­sand here. There I shall be­hold the perfection of thy Es­sence, the infinity of thy Na­ture, the immensity of thy Grandeur, the eternity of thy Duration, the greatness of thy Majesty, the stability of thy Throne, the vast extent of thy Wisdom, the abyss of thy Judgements, the sweetness of thy Bounty, the tenderness of thy Mercy, the severity of thy Justice, the latitude of thy Power, the charms of thy Beau­ty, and the lustre of thy Glo­ry! O what a ravishing sight [Page 112] will this be! And shall I be a­fraid of encountring with Ene­mies, that would keep me from seeing these wonderful ob­jects? These Enemies are al­ready conquered. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah hath already weakn'd their strength and power, which makes my Victory more easie; There­fore I will not despair. O thou who hast promised, that when the poor and needy want wa­ter, thou the God of Israel wilt hear them. Hear me from thy holy Heaven, and encou­rage my Soul to force her way through all difficulties. Give me lively apprehensions of that state. For want of those [Page 113] lively apprehensions, I work not, I move not, I press not forward, I act not like a per­son in good earnest, my en­deavours are dull, and my at­tempts feeble; O write that bliss upon my mind, engrave it on my Soul; Let the beams of it warm my Spirit, that no labour for Heaven may seem hard, no Commandment grie­vous, no exercise troublesome, no industry tedious, no pains too great, no journey too long, that I may not murmur, that I may not complain of diffi­culties, that I may not be wea­ry, that I may not faint in my mind; It is not onely a glori­ous Garment, not onely a ma­gnificent [Page 114] House, not onely a stately Palace that's promised me, but Glory it self, and Ma­gnificence it self, and Splen­dor it self. What if I must curb my Passions, and break through my sinful Inclinations? What if I must withdraw mine affections from the Creature, and mortifie my Body? What if I must submit my will to thy will, and pardon the grea­test injuries! What if I must get habits of vertue, give Law to my Tongue, prescribe limits to my Thoughts, put a restraint upon my foolish De­sires in order to this Glory? is not the promised Recom­pence encouragement enough? [Page 115] O my God! thou art my Shield and exceeding great re­ward! and shall I be afraid to serve thee? Shall I tremble at the work thou settest me? will not thy Wages be infinite­ly beyond my Labour? How short will be my Task, and how long my Rest! How few will be the days I am to work in, and how durable my Repose! Shall I think Heaven too dear at the price thou hold'st it at! O undeceive me, pull down the vain con­ceits I have harboured; shine powerfully upon my Soul, that I may be insatiable in my desires after it, and long to see thee, who art Light it self, [Page 116] and in thy Light may see light, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for Sunday-Evening.

O Most happy, most bles­sed, and most glorious God! How can I reflect on the rest of this day without summoning my thoughts to survey the nobler Rest, where­of this present is but an Em­blem! I have gone this day with the multitude to the house of God, but what is this to the company, I shall ere long meet in Heaven, if I imitate them in their severi­ties [Page 118] here! Happy Society! where is no Chaff among the Corn, no Tares among the Wheat, no Thistles among the Roses! Where all are Children of God, all are Kings, all are Saints, all are full of grace and glory, all are wise, all courteous, all affable, all adorn'd with celestial quali­ties! If I take such pleasure in the conversation of a wise, discreet, and prudent man here, what delight shall I take in the company of the wisest, holiest, and most accomplished Souls, that want nothing, that have all things, that abound in Knowledge, in Prudence, in Wisdom, and in Sanctity! [Page 119] How do I admire men of great parts and abilities here! in what admiration then will my Soul be, when it shall con­verse with persons deckt with the light of Gods Glory! who know all things without rea­ding, understand the greatest Mysteries without studying, comprehend the abstrusest things without labour; who forget nothing, whose Memo­ry never decays, whose Parts never faile, who know with­out errour, apprehend without doubting, understand with as­surance, and perceive with the greatest evidence imagina­ble; who can unfold all Rid­dles, resolve all difficulties, an­swer [Page 120] to all Questions, and think and speak nothing but truth, whose Mindes know no darkness, whose Under­standings are free from Clouds, whose Knowledge is eternal! How can they but be happy, when the place where they for ever live is so! How can they but know the deep things of God, when God is the Glass in which they behold all Mysteries! O my God, make me in love with that place, where I shall love thee per­fectly, where my Soul shall be eternally united to thee, where it cannot but love thee, can­not but embrace thee, and can­not but be ravished with thee [Page 121] forever. If they which run­ning in a Race, strive for the mastery, are temperate in all things, shall not I be so? If they mortifie themselves to gain a corruptible Crown, shall not I do so much to gain an incorruptible! What pains do ungodly sinners take to get to Hell, and shall not I be at some cost and charge to get to Hea­ven! O Lord, let it never be said of me, that I valued thy Heaven less, than other men do the Devils Kingdom! Thou offerest me the honour to reign with thee for ever, and in order thereunto requi­rest nothing of me, but to reign over my self on this side [Page 122] Heaven! Thou bid'st me rule my Lusts, and shall I give them vent? Thou bid'st me curb my vain Desires, and shall I cherish them in my Bosom? Thou bid'st me tri­umph over my Flesh, and shall I set it on the Throne? Thou bid'st me subdue my worldly inclinations, and shall I give them entertainment? How great are the Glories thou intendest me! and shall I de­prive my self of them out of love to Slavery and Bon­dage? O give me courage to command my self! O let me not be afraid of displeasing my self! My dearest Lord, teach me so to rule my out­ward [Page 123] and inward man, that I may rule at last with my bles­sed Redeemer for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for Munday-Morning, relating to the Meditation pre­scribed Exercise 3. for Munday.

GReat, All-seeing, and Al­mighty Judge of the World, before whom all Man­kind must e'erlong appear! Righteous art thou in all thy ways, and holy in all thy works. If the righteous shall scarcely be saved, where shall I a poor sinner appear! I that have so long, so frequently neglected [Page 125] my Duty, delayed my Repen­tance, undervalued thy Mer­cies, despised thy Patience, and abused the riches of thy Grace and Favour! O Lord! how watchful should I be over my self, if the terrours of the Great day of account stood be­fore me in lively Characters! O dreadful day! when I a poor wretch must stand before thy Tribunal, and see my self sur­rounded with vast Legions of Angels, all expecting to hear what my Sentence will be! This day I talk of: This day I have frequently in my mouth, but O that my Soul were frighted more with the men­tion and consideration of it! I [Page 126] should not then lead so easie & so soft a life; I should then spend more time in Weeping and Praying. I should then be afraid of defiling my Soul with the least spot of sin. Lord Jesu! Great Saviour of the world! look upon me, and let me feel thy power in my Soul, even such power to re­present this day to my mind in all its terrours and circum­stances, that I may make haste to enter into thy rest. The Judge is at the door, let me bring presents to him that ought to be feared; and since no gift is so pleasing to thee, as a heart entirely devoted to [Page 127] thy service, O perswade me, O help me, O assist me to mind the one thing necessary, and to chuse the better part, which may never be taken away from me, for thy Name sake, for thy Mercies sake, for thy Merits sake.

Amen.

A Prayer for Munday in the Evening.

OThou Omniscient, Om­nipotent, and Omni­present Being, who hast ap­pointed a day wherein thou wilt judge the Secrets of mens Hearts, and all their Words, and Actions, and Desires, by thy Gospel. I believe, this day will come, a day when pure hearts will be esteemed more than eloquent Speeches, and a good Conscience will to farther than Purses of Gold. [Page 129] Thou Lord givest me frequent warnings of the approaches of this day! My Conscience puts me in mind of it. The Sick­nesses and Calamities thou sen­dest upon me, tell me of it: My heart misgives me that I am not safe, that my Soul is in danger, and that my eter­nal interest is not yet secured. O my God, who art not tired with the Prayers of thy Ser­vants, nor displeased with the importunities of thy Chil­dren. I earnestly beg, it is the desire of my Soul to be enliven'd and awaken'd into a sense of this day, that to day while I hear thy Voice I may not harden my Heart. I have [Page 130] delay'd my serious care of a future happiness too long, too long indeed! O that mine Eyes were Fountains of tears to weep for this neglect! I am sensible I must not trifle any longer. I must not defer a concern of that importance to another day. O my God, let me admire thy patience, that I have liv'd unto this hour, and accept of my Sacrifice, of the remainder of my days, which I humbly consecrate to Faith and Love in Christ Jesus. O let this future Judgement swim before mine eyes, when I speak, when I think, when I follow my lawful Calling, when I am in company, when I am alone, [Page 131] when I walk, when I sit, when I stand, and let me ever fear that Judge who hath power to destroy both Soul and Body into Hell, that both my Soul and Body may be preserved from damnation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for Tuesday-Morning, relating to the Meditation pre­scribed for Tuesday, Exercise 3.

OLord! how wonderful are all thy Works, in wisdom hast thou made them ill, the Earth is full of thy riches! What a Monument am I of thy Mercy! How kind hast thou been to this misera­ble Creature! How am I bound to magnifie thy good­ness! How excellent, how [Page 133] great, how vast, how large, how diffusive is it! not con­fin'd to a day, not restrain'd to a place, not limited to an hour! From my Cradle unto this moment I have seen, and tasted how sweet, and how gracious thou art. Thou hast carried me on thy Wings, as the Eagle doth her young; thorough the various stages of my life, what Miracles of Pro­vidences have mine Eyes be­held! How hath thy Provi­dence been at work for me, while I have been asleep, while I have been thinking, and con­triving something else, even how to derogate from thy ho­nour and glory! Truly Lord! [Page 134] thy Mercy and Patience ought to be my Song in the house of my Pilgrimage! This I have reason to boast of, to speak of, to meditate of day and night; by that I subsist, by that I am supported, fed, main­tain'd, and preserv'd from the clutches of the Devil. O let thy Mercy melt my Heart! O let Mercy prevail with me to give up my Heart to thee. Let mercy and goodness force me to love thee! Give me that ingenuity, that generous tem­per, that noble Spirit, that thy goodness may do more with me, than Threatnings, and Hell, and everlasting Torments. Let thy Love and Charity, and [Page 135] constant Murificence, oblige me to run in the way of thy Commandments; Let these be greater motives with me to do thy Will, than all the terrours of the burning Lake. O let thy Love be of that force in my Soul, that I may not be a­ble to resist its motions, but by the strength of that, may hope, believe, endure, deny my self, love, and obey thee to the end of my days, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for Tudsday-Evening.

GReat Governour and Di­sposer of the world, who hast promised to them that love thee, so to order all things, that they shall all con­spire to their good, I am sensi­ble of the good thou hast in­tended, and dost intend me, by the various Dispensations, mine eyes have seen. The va­rious Spiritual and Temporal Blessings that have been con­ferred upon me, what have [Page 137] they been, but motives to be enamou'rd with the best of Be­ings. Thou knowest, if I de­part from thee, or love any thing better than thee, I run a­way from mine own happiness, and go to undo my self; there­fore so many various Tokens and Expressions of thy Love are sent to me to unite my Heart to thee, to preserve me in thy Fear, and to uphold my go­ings in thy Paths. O wise, O gracious, O bountiful Ma­ster, kinder to me than I am, or have been to my self! Let me find the good thou design­est for me in thy numberless Blessings, even the good of my Soul, let that grow stron­ger [Page 138] under thy Favours, war­mer in thy Sunshine, more fer­vent under these Beams, more flaming with love under these enforcives. The very affli­ctions, thou sendest upon me are intended for my good. I have found it, I have seen it, I have known it by experi­ence, I have learned Repen­tance, Humility, Submission, fear of sinning by Afflictions, which I should never have learned by Prosperity; when I have thought, I had great wrong done me by the con­tempt, reproach, trouble, mi­sery others have thrown upon me, thou hast let me see, that this was to make me reflect [Page 139] on the affronts, and indigni­ties, I have put upon thee my best and greatest friend. O let me never mistrust thy Pro­vidence. Whatever befals me, let me believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, and let me not be disappointed of my hope, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for Wednes­day-Morning, relating to the Meditation prescribed Exer­cise 3 for Wednesday.

O Thou, in whose hand is the power of Life and Death, who art immortal, in­visible, Blessed for evermore! Before the Mountains were brought forth, or ever the Earth, and the World were made, thou art God, from E­verlasting to Everlasting thou art he. I am a frail, dying [Page 141] creature; and though I carry an immortal Soul about me, yet the Vessel, in which that glorious guest abides, will soon grow leaky and decay, and that must turn to dust, and how soon, I know not; I ad­mire thy wisdom in concealing the Day and Hour of my Death from me; I am sensi­ble, it's done to hasten my Re­pentance, to keep me from adding sin unto sin, to restrain me from the Vanities of this world, to make me think of a better, and to secure that hap­py Life which shall be after Death! And O that my death might be ever before me! How great are the things that [Page 142] depend upon it! Two great Eternities, whereof one of them, will certainly fall to my share. O let my death be my daily Meditation, that I may prevent my everlasting death! What a miserable creature should I be, if my Soul should leave this Body, to go into a more dismal Prison, from whence there is no returning! O make me wise, O let me un­derstand what preparation is necessary for that hour; teach me to undervalue the World, and to mind the things which are above, that when I come to die, I may die with joy, and cheerfully resigne my Soul into the hands of my [Page 143] Creator. Let Lust, and Pride, and Envy, and Anger, die in me, before I die, that they may not endanger my Soul after death. Let me converse with Death more, that I may die to sin more, and live more to him that died for me. Let the thoughts of death mortifie in me whatever is offensive to thy Holiness. In all my acti­ons let me remember my latter end, that my death may be my gain, and my departure out of the world an entrance into a better, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for Wednes­day Evening.

O My God, to whom be­long the issues of Life and Death! naked came I from my mothers Womb, naked shall I return thither. What is my life but a Vapour, which appears for a while, and then vanishes away! O Lord! thou hast made this life transitory, dangerous, short, full of mise­ry, subject to vanity, and as it were a span long! and all to make me desire to be dissolv'd [Page 145] and to be with Christ; yet how dreadful is death to me! How do I tremble at the thoughts of it! What should make me so deeply enamour'd with this Life? At the best it is a Warfare; within are Tu­mults, without are Fightings; I am in a continual state of War here with Covetousness, with Passion, with Pride, with Ambition, with carnal Lusts, with Allurements of the world, with suggestions of the De­vil; when one sin is beaten away, another rises; when I think I have mortified one Corruption, another starts up; The Discontents and Vexa­tions, the Troubles, and the [Page 146] Disappointments I meet with­al are innumerable; and can I delight to dwell in such a Valley of Tears, surroun­ded with so many Snares, encompassed with so many Dangers? Should not this make me desirous to be gone? O my God, make me willing to leave this world! Take away from me the fear of death. Why should I fear, when my Great Master hath overcome this King of Ter­rours? I will follow my Redeemer, I will conform to his Example, I will tread in his steps; this is my re­solution, this the firm pur­pose [Page 147] of my Soul! And why should I doubt of his assi­sting me! Why should not I be confident, that my death will be a passage from Mor­tality to Immortality, from Corruption to Incorruption, from Trouble and Misery, to Rest and Tranquillity? Death is the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. I cannot inhe­rit it, except I die. Do I long for that Kingdom, and shall I be afraid of the way that leads to it! I must die! O sweet Jesu! let me die contentedly. Let Death be my choice. Let me embrace it before this [Page 148] miserable life, that after death I may live with thee for ever.

Amen.

A Prayer for Thursday-Morning, relating to the Meditation pre­scribed for Thurs­day, Exercise 3.

O God, whose Judge­ments are unsearchable, and thy ways past finding out! Who art just as well merciful, and hast ordained a Dungeon for Rebels, as well as a Paradise for the Inno­cent! Horrour is ready to overwhelm me when I reflect on the eternal miseries of the [Page 150] Damned! when I think on the unquenchable fire, and on the Worm that dies not, how should I tremble at the sins that lead men to those tor­ments! As eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard, and the heart of man cannot con­ceive the joys of Heaven, so I must judge of these future miseries too. O dreadful day, when God shall take ven­geance of his Enemies! when not onely all the Pain and An­guish that mankind endures here, shall there be poured out on sinners, but far grea­ter too. How unable am I to endure here the aking of a Tooth, the torments of the [Page 151] Gout, the misery of the Stone, the fire of a Fever, the raging of the Cholick, the exquisite pain of the Strangury! O then! what must those miseries be, which know no respit, no in­terval, no rest, no quiet, no ease, no abatement! Where Vengeance will come with a Deluge, and not onely the pain of a single Disease will be inflicted, but all pains to­gether will meet in the mise­rable Sufferer! Where all things will combine to make him wretched, and all his for­mer pleasures turn into Gall and Wormwood! And yet how regardless of these mise­ries does Mankind live! How [Page 152] little are they frighted with this Fire! How little are they disturbed with this ap­proaching Woe! O my gra­cious Lord! suffer me not to fall asleep with the foolish Virgins, while the day doth last; while I have time to work, while I am on this side Eternity, let me dread these terrours, and the causes of it. Whenever I am tempted to offend thee, O let these Torments check mine inordi­nate desires! O let me con­sider how short the pleasure is, and how long the bitterness it ends in! Surely thou wilt let the disobedient know one day how odious sin is in thy [Page 153] sight, and how dangerous it was to abuse thy patience! O give my Soul no rest till I firmly believe all this, and be­lieving it, may escape the wrath to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for Thursday-Evening.

GReat God, whose excel­lency is over Israel, whose strength is in the Clouds, who art terrible out of thy holy places, who hast a migh­ty Voice, a Voice that will one day shake the world, and summon all Mankind to come out of their Graves, and to appear before thy Judgement seat! What confusion will the wicked and careless world be in, when thou shalt with in­dignation [Page 155] send them away in­to the fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels! where they must be for ever depri­ved of thy Favour, and want thy gracious Influences; where their fancy will be eternally affrighted with hideous and monstrous shapes, where their Passions will be in a perpetual uproar, where the remem­brance of their former Mer­cies will continually sting them, where their Reason will be their Tormentor, their Con­science their Executioner, and yet unable to make an end of them, where their Souls will be everlastingly torn with grief and discontent, where God [Page 156] will be the object of their Ha­tred, and their minds will not be able to entertain one kind thought of their Judge; where their Souls will be like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest, and eternal darkness and gloominess make their estate most uncomfortable; where no creature pities them, and no man, no Angel, no Devil affords them any consolation! O God! can I love my self and not endeavour to prevent this miserable condition? O call to me, bid me think of it, convince me of it. Cure my blindness. Let Hell be the greatest object of my fear. [Page 157] Let me not fear Poverty, Con­tempt, Sickness, Exile, or the unkindness of men, so much, as this horrible Tempest. O let me not grow careless of it, because I see it not, and I have not as yet felt it. Let me therefore dread it, that I may never feel it. Let not the world drown my thoughts of it. Let not my Lusts put it out of my mind. Let not the Devil perswade me that I am in no danger. I am in danger, O let me see it, and run away. Lord! here cut, burn, tor­ture, and afflict me, so thou wilt but make me happy for ever. O let the King of [Page 158] Heaven hear me when I call, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for Friday-Morning, relating to the Meditation pre­scribed for Friday, Exercise 3.

GReat Saviour of the world, who wast woun­ded for my Transgressions, and bruised for my sins! Thou art that innocent, and immaculate Lamb, which for sinners, Ene­mies, and condemned crea­tures, gavest thy back to the Smiter, and sufferedst thy self to be beaten, crown'd with [Page 160] Thorns, mocked, derided, and inhumanely abused! A love fitter to be admired in silence, than praised with imperfect expressions! How freely didst thou part with thy bloud to save my life, and to procure my safety! Never was Bloud spilt upon such an account; or if there were, never was such precious Bloud spilt as thine was, bloud which drives away Devils, invites Angels, clean­ses Souls, purifies the Taber­nacle, washes the whole world, and opens the Gate of Hea­ven! Who can be so irreligi­our as not to be pricked at the heart with the thoughts of thy Passion? Who can be so [Page 161] arrogant, or proud, as not to be humbled with the sight? who so cholerick, as not to be melted into meekness with the contemplation? Who so luxurious, as not to be tem­pted to self-denial with this spectacle! O let thy Cross have that effect upon me, that I may crucifie my Flesh with all its Lusts and Passions. Let thy Charity to thine Enemies prevail with me, to do good to them that hate me! Let thy Patience under Reproaches oblige me to be silent under Calumnies. Let thy love to my Soul wound my Heart, that I may long for thee, breathe after thee, as my grea­test [Page 162] comfort, think of nothing so much as of thee, value no­thing so much as thee, delight in nothing so much as in thee, for thou hast done for me be­yond expectation, beyond i­magination, more than Fa­ther and Mother ever did, more than my dearest Friends ever did, more than mortal man can do. O chain my heart to thine, and let nothing sepa­rate me from thy love, but be thou mine, and let me be thine, and dwell with thee for ever.

Amen.

A Prayer for Friday-Evening.

OJesu! who hast led Captivity Captive, spoi­led Principalities and Powers, made a shew of them open­ly, and triumph'd over them! How powerful was thy Death! How victorious thy Cross! How potent were thy Ago­nies! How effectual thy Suf­ferings! Thy Cross is my Conquest. Thy Gibbet is my Triumph. At that Devils tremble, and they that are [Page 164] not afraid of splendid Palaces, are afraid of the Tree on which thy sacred Body was stretched out. How shall Sin reign any longer in my body, after such Compassion! Shall not I blush after such Mercy to offend that Friend, who died for me? Shall I reward evil for good, or dare to act against thee any more, who hast conquered my greatest E­nemies for me! They would have swallow'd me up quick, when they were so wrathfully displeased at me, but thou camest to my rescue, and woul­dest not let me perish by their fury. I can plead no more that Sin and the Devil, and the [Page 165] World are not conquerable, for thou hast made them so. They have lost their force and power, and a poor Christian can make even Devils tremble. O let the world be for ever crucified to me, and me unto the world. Let me not be a­fraid of Affliction, when my Lord and Master hath endured so much for me. I hope to share in the glories of thy Crown, O let me not be asha­med to bear thy Cross. O bles­sed Jesu! who art a Guide to the Blind, a Way to the erring Soul, a Staff to the Lame, a Comforter to the Poor, a Har­bour to the tossed with Tem­pests, a Counsellour to the [Page 166] Perplexed, Wisdom to the Foolish, the glory of Martyrs, the joy of Angels, the Foun­dation of the Church, the Phy­sician of the Sick, Meat to the Hungry, Drink to the Thirsty, Clothes to the Naked, be thou all this to me, and let thy Cross supply all my wants, and in this let me glory and rejoyce day and night, that being in some measure crucified with thee here, I may be glorified with thee hereafter.

Amen.

A Prayer for Satur­day-Morning, sui­ted to the Medita­tion prescribed Ex­ercise 3. for Satur­day.

OGod, who art Purity and Holiness it self! How despicable, how odious, how contemptible have I made my self in thy sight by departing from thy holy Commandments delivered unto me! How like an Adversary! how like an E­nemy of the Cross have I li­ved! [Page 168] How may I stand ama­zed at thy patience, that I am yet on this side Hell! What ingratitude have I been guilty of, to thee the best of Ma­sters, and the kindest Father, who hast been tender of me to a Miracle! How can I re­flect upon my unthankfulness without blushing! O that I might not be able to remem­ber any of my sins without horrour! How have I under­valued thy wisdom by think­ing my self wiser than my God, and by approving that, which thy wisdom hath con­demned, as folly and bruitish­ness! What fruit had I then in those things whereof I am [Page 169] now ashamed. What war­nings hast thou given me, not to venture on those dan­gerous baits, and yet I have set light by them! I have been loath to believe those, who poison'd by this Viper, have cried out, that they have been cheated and murther­ed! I would not believe, till I found death in the pot, and by woful experience saw, that all the fair promises of sin, are meer Delusions. Lord discover to me my secret er­rours, and the sins I have been loth to know, convince me of their odiousness and fear­ful consequence! Teach me to remove my foot far from [Page 170] them, and let me not come near the door of their house. Instead of excusing of them, give me grace to confess, and fight against them. Let not the present satisfactions tempt me to run into that fire, and anguish, they end in. Though the World lies in wickedness, yet let the familiarity and common pra­ctices of men be no tem­ptation to me. Let me e­ver look up to that Great, and Glorious God, who in­terdicts it, and count my self happier in thy favour, than in all the Solaces and Flatteries of evil men. A­noint me with the oyl of glad­ness, [Page 171] and let me rejoyce in no­thing so much as in doing thy will, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for Saturday-Evening.

O Thou, at whose pre­sence Devils tremble, and Sinners are afraid! How blind hath sin made me! How hath it darkned my Under­standing, and clouded all my Faculties! How hath it de­prived me of spiritual strength, and thrust me into the very Jaws of the roaring Lion! What power have I given to my spiritual Enemies by of­fending thee, and how have [Page 173] I armed those Foes against mine own Soul! How like an A­theist have I lived, while I have been careless of thy Om­niscience and Omnipresence! How basely have I preferred mine own will, and the fa­vour of men, before thy Pre­cepts, and the light of thy Countenance! O the many idle, foolish, silly, lascivious, ri­diculous, censorious Words, Speeches, Discourses, and An­swers, that I have been guilty of! How little regard have I had to thy Day, thy Name, thy Word, thy Ordinances, to the duty of Prayer, and to the Ministry! How inatten­tive in hearing thy Word, [Page 174] how cold in Prayers, how neg­ligent in the duties of my re­spective Relations have I been! What pettishness, peevishness, impatience, touchiness! What envy, hatred, passion, secret grudges have I harboured in my Bosom! What impure, covetous, unclean, disorder­ly thoughts and desires have I suffered to lodge in my Breast! What a stranger have I been to that veracity, meekness, pa­tience, humility, charity, ten­derness, compassion, steddi­ness in holiness, and readiness to every good word, and work, which thou hast peremptorily commanded! How have I rendred railing for railing, mi­strusted [Page 175] thy Providence, allow­ed my self in discontentedness, and been a Coward in thy ser­vice! O my God! I renounce all these swarms of sin, and beg thy Illumination, Assi­stance, Power, Grace, and In­fluence against them! Come Lord! Come into this Soul of mine, and erect thy Throne in my Breast! Whenever I am tempted for the future, let me say, I am a Christian, I am not mine own, I am bought with a price, and I cannot yield! O make me stand in awe of mine own Conscience, and give me Rivers of Tears to deplore what is past! O my God! I desire to walk in the light, e­ven [Page 176] as thou art in the light, that I may have fellowship with thy Saints, and the bloud of Jesus Christ may wash me from all sins. O quicken me, O strengthen me, O leave me not; in thee do I trust, let me never be confounded for Christs sake, to whom with thee, and the eternal Spirit, be all Ho­nour and Glory for ever.

A­men.

For the whole Race of Mankind.

ARise O Lord, let thy Light shine, and let thy Glory rise upon Heathens, Jews, Mahometans, and others, who have not known thee, and upon all the Families that do not call upon thy Name. Re­move the darkness that covers the Eàrth, and the gross dark­ness under which whole Na­tions lie. Let all men see the light of thy Gospel, and flow [Page 179] to it, that their hearts may fear, and be enlarged, and glorifie the House of thy Glo­ry.

For the Universal Church of Christ.

HAve mercy, Lord, on thy Church dispersed all the world over. Let vio­lence be heard in her no more, nor wasting and destruction within her borders. Let her Walls be called Salvation, and her Gates Praise. Let her Priests be cloathed with righ­teousness, and let her Saints rejoyce and sing. Let her righ­teousness go forth as brightness, and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burns.

For the King.

GIve the King thy Judge­ments, O God, and let him judge thy People with Righteousness. Be thou his Goodness, his Fortress, his high Tower, and his Deliver­er, his Shield, in whom he may trust, and subdue his peo­ple under him; send thy hand from above, and rid him, deliver him out of great Wa­ters, from the hand of strange Children, whose mouth spea­keth Vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of False­hood. [Page 182] Let him rule in the fear of God, and let his glory be as the light of the Morning, when the Sun rises, even as a Morning without Clouds.

For the Royal Fami­ly.

LEt their glory, O Lord, be great in thy Salvation, Honour and Majesty do thou lay upon them. Be thou en­treated to make them blessed for ever, and exceeding glad with thy countenance. Let their goodness be answerable to their greatness, and make them shining and burning lights, that others may see their good works, and praise their Father which is in Heaven.

For the Bishops and Clergy.

ENable thy Ministers, O Lord, to hold Faith and a good Conscience; Make them great examples of the Believers in Word, in Conversation, in Charity, in Spirit, in Purity. Let them meditate upon these things, give themselves whol­ly to them, that their profiting may appear to all. Let them take heed unto themselves, and unto their Doctrine, and con­tinue in it, that they may both save themselves and them that hear them.

For the People of the Land.

O Lord, make the people willing in the day of thy power, willing to fear God, to honour the King, and to love one another with a pure heart fervently. O that there were such a heart in them, that they might love thee, and fear thee, and keep all thy Command­ments always, that it might be well with them, and with their Children for ever. Pardon their crying sins, and perswade them [Page 186] to do justly, to shew mercy, and to walk humbly with their God.

For persons distressed in Body or Mind.

O Lord, bind up the bro­ken-hearted, proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound: Pro­claim the acceptable year of the Lord to the miserable, and the day of peace to comfort all that mourn. Give unto them Beauty for Ashes, the Oyl of Joy for Mourning, the Garment of Praise for the Spi­rit of Heaviness. For their [Page 188] Shame let them have double, and for Confusion, let them rejoyce in their Portion, and let everlasting Joy be upon their heads.

For Relations.

LOrd, be thou a Father, a Husband, a Friend, a Master, a Ruler, and a Prote­ctor to them all. Make them thy Friends, thy Children, thy Favourites, love them freely, receive them graciously, let their Souls be bound up in the bundle of life with thee, keep them as the Apple of thine eye, and when thou makest up thy Jewels, remember them, and spare them as a man would spare his own Son that serves him.

For Benefactors.

LOrd, do good to them that have done good to me. Bless them with a true Re­pentance, Here the Benefa­ctors Names may be mentioned. with pardon of all their sins, with a mighty sense of God, with a holy fruitful­ness in all good works, with a meek and humble Spirit, with peace of Conscience, with joy in the Holy Ghost, with emi­nency of Vertue, and for the kindnesses they have shewn to [Page 191] me, and mine, reward them sevenfold with mercy into their Bosoms.

For Enemies.

LOrd bless them that curse me, do good to them that hate me, be merciful to them that either have wrong'd me, or would despitefully use me, and transform them by the renewing of their mind, that they may prove what is the holy and acceptable and per­fect will of God.

For a Sick person.

O Thou, who deliverest the Poor when he cries, the Needy also, and him that hath no helper, look upon this thy weak Servant, from the habitation of thy Holiness, and be a Physician to his outward and inward man. At once heal his Soul and Body. Speak the word, and thy Servant shall be whole. Bless him with a sound Repentance, and make this affliction an effectu­al means to produce in him the peaceable fruits of Righ­teousness, [Page 194] of Faith, and Love, and Charity. Hear his Pray­ers, regard his Groans, give him ease under his burthen, re­store his Soul, and make him thankful for thy Mercy, tho­rough Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A short Thanksgiving after Recovery.

I Thank thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, be­cause thou hast been pleased to spare this thy unworthy Servant. Fill me with a migh­ty sense of thy Goodness. O let this Mercy never never be forgotten. Let me see thy hand in this providence, and admire the great Giver of this Bles­sing. Be thou hereafter in all my thoughts. Encrease my desires after thee, my fear of [Page 196] offending thee, my care to please thee, my love to thy ways, my zeal to thy Glory, and fit me for thy everlasting Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for a Wo­man with Child.

O Thou, who settest the Poor on high from af­fliction, and makest him Fa­milies like a Flock. Take pi­ty of me, O thou that hearest Prayers, be with with me in the hour of trouble, when Fear and Anguish come upon me. Forget my sins, and strengthen me with thy Grace. Bless the Fruit of my Body, and sanctifie it early. As the Mountains are round about [Page 198] Jerusalem, so let the Lord be round about me from hence­forth, even for ever, and though I sow in Tears, yet let me reap in Joy. Be thou my Fortress and Deliverer, and in the great danger watch over me for good and not for evil, and enable me to tell my Friends what the Lord hath done for my Soul through Je­sus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Thanksgiving after safe deliverance.

O God! How am I bound to praise thy great and glorious Name, who hast not forsaken me when my Soul was in trouble. Out of the depth have I cried unto thee, and thou hast heard my voice, and my supplication. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time, when thou mayst be found. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. Thou hast brought up my Soul [Page 200] from the Grave, thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the Pit. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing, thou hast put off my Sack-cloth, and girded me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praises to thee and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee, and delight my self in the Lord for ever, tho­rough Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for one that intends a Single Life.

O Most gracious God, who givest power to the weak, and strength to the fee­ble, thou knowest my purpo­ses, and seest my desires, and art acquainted with my design of being married to none but thee. O blessed Bridegroom of my Soul, give me chast de­sires, power to resist Tempta­tions, strength to subdue the motions of the Flesh. Dwell [Page 202] in me by thy Spirit. Teach me to love thee passionate­ly. Let no other object en­gross my Affections. Give me a spiritual Appetite. Keep me unspotted in this sinful world. Be thou my All, my Riches, my Pleasure, my De­light, my Crown, my Glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for one that is entring into a Married state.

O God, who hast made Marriage an honoura­ble thing, and promised to bless those that marry in the Lord! In thy name I am entring into another state of life. Be merciful unto me, O Lord, rejoyce the Soul of thy Servant, for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul. Direct me in all my actions. Counsel me in what I am to do. En­cline my heart to fear thy [Page 204] Name. Enrich her, that is to be my Yoak-fellow with the choicest of thy favours. Give us both hearts to rely and de­pend upon thee. Let's look up to thee, in all our concerns. Make our mutual love sincere, and constant, and let's encou­rage one another to godliness. Make us helpful one to ano­ther, and in our lawful endea­vours, and enterprizes let's see thy bountiful hand. Make us both pleas'd with what thou shalt think fit to send upon us, and contented in all conditions, and with united force let's press toward the mark of eternal glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer before a Journey.

O Thou who wast a Pil­lar of Cloud to thy People of old in the day, and a Pillar of Fire by night, watch over me in this Jour­ney day and night. Be thou my Guide, my Star, my Light, my Director, and bring me safe to the place I intend for. Preserve me from all evil. Protect me from all dangers, let thine Angel be my Guardian, and under the [Page 206] shadow of thy Wings let my refuge be, that I may observe thy Statutes, and keep thy Laws, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Thanksgiving after a safe return.

BLessed God, whose works are honourable, and glo­rious, and who hast made thy wonderful works to be remembred, give me leave to admire, and to praise thy Providence, which hath cover­ed me with its Feathers, and been my Shield and Buckler, which hath kept me from the terrour by night, and from the destruction that wasteth at noon day. I cheerfully [Page 208] offer here unto thee the Sacri­fice of righteousness, and as I see the loving kindness of the Lord, so enable me for the future to live in a thankful remembrance of thy goodness, and let this and all thy other gracious Providences prevail with me to walk before thee with a perfect and upright heart, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for one, that is going to Sea.

O Thou, who stillest the raging of the Sea, so that the Waves thereof are still. Thy Way is in the Sea, and thy Path in the great Wa­ters, and thy Footsteps are not known. O God! I am like to see thy Works and Won­ders in the deep. Be with me I beseech thee in my go­ing out, and in my coming in. Spread thy wings over me, and let me find by blessed expe­rience, that they who trust in [Page 210] thee shall never be confoun­ded. Prosper my Voyage, and give success to my endea­vours. Let not the Deep swallow me up, neither let the Flouds drown me. Shine up­on me day and night, and with thy love cherish my fain­ting Spirits. Let no evil ex­amples have dominion over me. Let thy fear be upon my Soul, at all times, and let no­thing tempt me to depart from my integrity. Let my Soul learn by thy Providences to keep close to thy Word, and let that be my Comfort in all my Afflictions, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Thanksgiving when one is returned safely.

O God, thou art the God, that doest Wonders, thou hast declared thy strength among the People, Thou hast with thine arm redeem'd thy People, the Sons of Jacob and Joseph. I will praise thee, for thy goodness, and for thy wonderful Works to the Chil­dren of men. I will exalt thee in the Congregation of the People, and praise thee in the Assembly of the Elders. [Page 212] I cried unto the Lord in my trouble, and thou broughtest me out of my distresses. Thou hath delivered me from the great Waters, and my Life hath been precious in thy sight. Recreate my Soul with the thoughts of thy mercy, and while I am sailing through the boisterous Sea of this World, let thy Word be a Lanthorn to my Feet, and a Light to my Paths, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A­men.

A short Prayer before Divine Service or Sermon.

O God, I am come into the house, where thy Honour dwelleth. Overaw me with a sense of thy Pre­sence, that I may pray with understanding, and like a per­son concern'd about the bles­sings, I shall pray for. Fix my Thoughts and Affections on thy sweet self, and teach me to make intercessions with groans, which cannot be ut­tered. Let thy Word be [Page 214] sweet to me, and give me a tractable Spirit, that may cheer­fully, and willingly submit to the Yoak of the Lord Jesus. Assist me in all my Duties and Devotions, and let thy good Spirit direct and order them to thy Glory. Make my Soul a gainer by these spiritual Ex­ercises, and let all the Congre­gation feel the power of thy influences, that with one heart, and one voice, we may glori­fie God in the day of Visita­tion, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer after Di­vine Service and Sermon.

O Thou, who livest for ever and ever, I have pray'd, I have heard thy Word, I have joyn'd with thy People in their Supplications and Prayers. If thou Lord shouldest mark Ini­quities, who shall stand? Par­don, I beseech thee, the iniqui­ties of my holy things, and what imperfections thou hast seen in my Devotions, cover them with the unspotted righ­teousness of Christ Jesus, and [Page 216] cleanse them with his Bloud. Cast me not away from thy presence, neither take thy holy Spirit from me. Accept of my imperfect Services, and make me more circumspect in all my ways. Let thy Word be written in my heart, and let neither the cares, nor ri­ches, nor pleasures of the world steal it away. O give me thy Grace to walk according to this rule, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Morning-Prayer for a Family.

O God, great and glori­ous! the Day is thine, and the Night is thine, thou hast made Summer and Win­ter, thou hast made the out­goings of the Morning and E­vening to rejoyce. How great is thy loving kindness! there­fore the Children of men shall put their trust under the sha­dow of thy Wings. We praise thee O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. Thou [Page 218] art the great preserver of men. Thou hast protected us the night past, and through thy mercy we have escaped in­numerable dangers; thou hast been our refuge, our hiding place, our fortress, and our deliverer. One Generation shall praise thy Works unto another, and declare thy migh­ty acts. We see thy good­ness again in the land of the living. Thou hast spread thy Wings over us, thou hast co­vered us with thy Feathers. Thou knowest our frame, and remembrest we are dust. Thou knowest how unable we are to keep our selves, and there­fore hast taken care of us, and [Page 219] unto this moment thy favours and loving kindnesses rest up­on our Souls and Bodies. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and declare his wonderful works to the Children of men! We cannot but remember, how like a Fa­ther thou hast pitied us all our days. We have always found thy help in the time of trouble. How precious are thy thoughts, which are to us ward; they can­not be reckon'd up in order unto thee. If we would de­clare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbred. What Sacrifices of thanksgiving are we bound to offer unto thee for thy love to our Souls [Page 220] in Christ Jesus, for the assistan­ces of thy Holy Spirit, for thy Word, and Ordinances, and for all the encouragements we have to lay hold on eternal life! O make us sensible of thy good­ness! Let us see how sweet, and how gracious thou art, and let this sight work in us a per­fect hatred of sin, and a fer­vent love to the ways of holi­ness. Discover to us the er­rours of our ways. Reveal to us our secret corruptions. Let not only greater, but even all lesser sins become odious and loathsom to our Souls. Esta­blish us with thy grace, uphold us with thy free Spirit. Leave us not to our selves, rule us by [Page 221] thy power, direct us by thy wisdom. Enable us to do thy will. Encourage us to cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, and whatever things are praise-wor­thy, let's not onely think of them, but practise them. Give us earnest desires to imitate the best of mankind. Let's delight greatly in thy Commandments. Lord! open the eyes of our Un­derstandings, that we may look more earnestly upon the spiri­tual riches thou hast vouchsafed unto us, and may be enamour'd with them, and despise the va­nities of the world, and set our affections upon the things which are above, and may at [Page 222] last obtain the end of our Faith, even the salvation of our Souls. Be with us this following day. Make us watchful over our senses. Work in us a detesta­tion of all filthy discourses, and of all the ill we see in the world. Teach us how to live in thy fear, and whatever sin we are tempted to, let's tremble at it, and say, how can we commit this wickedness, and sin against our God! Let thy holy An­gels keep us in all our ways. Order our steps according to thy Word. Direct and guide our thoughts, and words, and actions. Bless all our lawful en­deavours. Cross and disappoint us, in that which is offensive to [Page 223] thy holiness. Prosper that which is expedient for us. Give us courage, and wisdom, discre­tion, and resolution in our be­haviour toward God and men, and let's use the world, as if we used it not. Keep our thoughts fixed upon a better life, that whenever thou shalt call us a­way from hence, we may be ready and willing to obey thy Summons, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here the Prayers for the King, Royal Family, Church, &c. may be added.

An Evening Prayer for a Family.

MOst holy, and ever-glo­rious God! how ex­cellent is thy Name in all the World! Thou art to be seen in all thy works, and we have seen thee, the day past, in thy various Mercies and gracious Providences, for which we do here render our most humble and hearty thanks. O God! who is like unto thee? For though thou dwellest on high, yet thou humblest thy self to behold the ways of the Chil­dren [Page 225] of men! What are we, that thou shouldest take notice of us! or what is our frame, that thou shouldest have such respect unto us! We see thy condescention, and admire it. We see thy loving kindnesses, and praise thy Name. Thy Mercy reacheth unto the Hea­vens, thy Faithfulness unto the Clouds. Thou givest unto us all that our Hearts, and Faith, and Reason can desire! What a glorious gift is the Son of thy bosom! what rich Presents are thy Promises! how industri­ous is thy Providence, to en­gage our hearts to love thee! yet how backward are we to this duty! How loath to raise [Page 226] our Souls above the world! How unwilling to take thee for our greatest treasure! We say, and speak glorious things of thee now and then, but we feel them not. O touch our hearts, and warm them with the fire of the Sanctuary, and let's know no other thing, than to love thee with all our hearts, and with all our Souls. Be thou the pleasing object of our Souls, and let's be displeased with nothing but what displeases thee. Teach us to neglect our own will, that we may the bet­ter comply with thine, and let's walk by this golden Rule, to speak little, to think little, and to do much. Thou hast done [Page 227] great things for us, denied thy self in thy glory, majesty, and splendor to do us good, let's therefore scruple nothing that thou commandest; and give us strength to do what thou com­mandest, and then command what thou pleasest. Enable us to act, and speak, and live, as in thy presence, where-ever we are, and whatever we are do­ing, and let's so live in the world as not to be of the world. Let no condition thou shalt call us out unto, be uneasie or un­pleasant to us, and whenever thou shalt think fit to correct us, let's look upon the provi­dence, as intended for our good. Whenever we are exercised [Page 228] by Temptations, let's not grow impatient, but rest in an hum­ble and cheerful resignation to thy Will. Fit us for the hour of our death, and let's not de­lay our seriousness to a sick bed. Let's readily obey thy present call, and take heed of procrastinations. Let the great things that depend upon our death, be much in our thoughts, and let's not put the evil day far from us. Encourage us so to so journ here, that at our journeys end, we may be re­ceived into everlasting habita­tions. Take us all into thy protection this following night. O thou great Shepherd of Is­rael, who neither slumberest [Page 229] nor sleepest, spread thy wings over us, and we shall be safe. Fit us for the duties of the fol­lowing day. Teach us to com­mune with our hearts upon our beds, and to meditate of thy wondrous works. Let our rest be comfortable to the refresh­ing of our bodies, and that we may be the better able to dis­charge our duties the following day. Let our everlasting rest be never out of our minds, and from the sweetness of our rest on our Beds, let's take occasion to consider, how much sweeter our eternal rest will be in thy bosom. Banish from our minds all foolish and vain imaginati­ons, and let's ever think our [Page 231] selves most happy when we do most converse with thee, who art most blessed for ever. Visit us with the favour thou bearest unto thine own people; and give us all such resolutions to serve thee, that we may ne­ver be faint or weary in thy service, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Grace before meat.

O Lord, thy bountiful hand hath provided these thy good Creatures for me [us]. Let me use them with Moderation, Temperance, and Sobriety, to the glory of thy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or: LOrd, let me see thee the great Creator in these thy Creatures, and as thou dost intend them for my nourish­ment, [Page 232] so let my Soul be encou­raged by these Mercies to a­bound more and more in Goodness and Vertue, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A­men.

A Grace after meat.

O Lord, who art the great Preserver of men, and who hast fed me at this time with thy Blessings, receive my humble Praises for these thy Mercies, and engage me to walk before thee in Righteous­ness and true Holiness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or: HOw excellent O Lord, is thy loving Kindness, I have seen and tasted again how [Page 234] sweet and gracious the Lord is. Make my will perfectly con­formable to thy Will, and let these and all thy other Mer­cies prove Motives to me to love thee unto the end, tho­rough Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.