1. A Morning Prayer, for pri­uate Families.

MOst gratious GOD and louing FA­THER, in all humilitie of soule, and vn­fained acknowledgement of our bounden duty, we present [Page 2] our selues heere before thy throne of maiestie, and glory, desiring in some measure to shew our thankfulnesse for the multitude of thy mercies hea­ped vpon vs thy most vnwor­thy seruants. By thee at the first we were fearefully and wonderfully made, thou co­ueredst vs in our mothers wombes, thou gauest vs the shape of men & women, when it was free for thee to haue e­qualled vs vs vnto thy basest creatures: since, it hath plea­sed thée to preserue vs, to watch ouer vs and to guard vs by thy prouidence, to open thy hand, and to replenish vs with good things, to giue vs foode [Page 3] and rayment, health, libertie & peace: O Lord thy compassi­ons faile not, but they are re­nued euerie morning: euen in this night past, we haue recei­ued an apparant euidence of thy loue: For whereas, for the sinnes committed the day be­fore, thou mightest euen in the deade of sleepe haue taken our soules from vs, and so sud­denly haue brought vs to our account, it hath been thy plea­sure yet to spare vs; and not onlie so, but to refresh vs with quiet rest, and to bring vs in safetie to the beginning of this day. Grant (O Lord) wee pray thee, that the ordinarie vse of these thy kindnesses, may [Page 4] not make vs the lesse to esteem them: but so affect our hearts with the apprehension of them, that we may learne to admire thy mercy, which dealest so gratiously with such vnthank­full persons as wee haue al­wayes béene, and may euen bind our selues to striue to shew all obedience & duty to thee, which dost so enlarge thy goodnes vnto vs. But chiefe­lie (O Lord) raise vp (we be­seech thee) our hearts and our affections from these outward fauours (the least of which notwithstanding is greater then the best of our deseruings) and drawe vs to the serious consideration of those bles­sings, [Page 5] which doe more direct­lie concerne a better life. Make vs thankefully mindfull of the grace of election, by which thou fréely chosest vs in Christ to be vessels of mercie, before we were; of thy sending thy sonne out of thine owne bo­some, being in thine owne forme, to take on him the forme of a seruant, and to be­come obedient vnto the death euen y^e death of the Crosse for our sakes; of thy calling vs out of the kingdome of dark­nes by the power of the gospel preached, of thy shining into our hearts by the enlighte­ning of thy spirit; of quicke­ning vs when we were dead [Page 6] in trespasses and sinnes; of thy begetting vs againe vnto a liuelie hope; of the first fruites of the spirit, and of that earnest of our inheritance which thou hast giuen vs: of the dai­lie free vse and libertie of thy worde, whereby that great mysterie of godlines yea euen thy whole counsell is cléerelie reuealed to vs. O Lord teach vs to consider what miserable creatures wee were in our selues, & what a fearefull case we had yet beene in, if thou hadst left vs to our selues: that so the veiw of these vnspeak­able and vndeserued fauours may euen rauish our spirits, and so possesse our hearts that [Page 7] we may constantly resolue, henceforth to giue vppe our selues as a liuing sacrifice, ho­lie and acceptable vnto thee, and to deuote all our powers both of soule and body to the glorie and honor of thy name. And (Lord) enable vs here­unto we pray thée; for we are not suffcient of our selues, to thinke anie thing, as of our selues, we are naturally re­probate to euerie good worke. Open therefore the eies of our mind, that we may see what is good, and what thou requi­rest of vs; teach vs to make thy word our delight & counsel­lor; that by it we may be infor­med in thy paths: put thy spi­rit [Page 8] within vs, and cause vs to walke in thy statutes; let our eares continually hear a word behind vs, saying, This is the way; giue vs hearts of flesh, yéelding, & pliable affections; subdue the crookednes of our nature, and bring it vnder the obedience of Christ. And when thou hast entred vs into a good course, vphold vs therein by thy alsufficient grace, stablish vs in euerie worde and good worke, fill vs with the fruites of righteousnesse, let vs not be idle nor vnfruitfull-in our pro­fession: but graunt that wee may bee euen rich in good workes, and so may adorne the doctrine of thée our Sauiour [Page 9] in all thinges, making the ad­uersaries of thy truth asha­med, when they shall haue no­thing concerning vs to speake euill of. And shield vs (O Lord) we earnestlie intreate thee, against the malice and rage and fury of the diuel: giue vs wisedome to discerne his policies, and courage to resist euen his most fiery assaults: make vs wise against the be­guiling entisements of this sinfull world: let vs not be ca­ried awaie with the streame of these corrupt times: harden our faces, against the repro­ches & enmities of euill men: suffer vs not to bee wearyed nor to faint in our minds for a­ny [Page 10] tribulations, sanctifie vnto vs euerie affliction, that it maie bee a meanes to purge out our corruptions. Draw our mindes from the loue of this present world, teach vs to vse it as if wee vsed it not, graunt that wee may euer re­member that wee haue heere no continuing citty; that so we may séeke for that kingdome that cannot be shaken, but is eternall in the heauens: Cause vs to depend vpon thy proui­dence, and to cast our care and burden vpon thee; assuring our selues that thou which hast gi­uen vs Christ, canst not but with him giue vs all thinges also. And (Lord) if at any [Page 11] time we fall by occasion into a fault (as who are we, that we should presume?) put vnder thy hand we beséech thée, deli­uer vs out of the mire that we sinke not, let not sinne swal­low vs vppe, let it not grow strong vpon vs, least wee pe­rish. Enable vs vnto diligence and faithfulnes in our seuerall callings, teach vs to lift vppe our heartes to thee for a bles­sing vpon our indeuours, and to remember that we are al­wayes in thy presence; that so we may studie to walke with thee and to approue our very thoughts vnto thee. Giue vs a sober vse of thy creatures, make vs readie to reach out [Page 12] our hands vnto the wants of others; beget in vs a godlie iealousie ouer our selues, that we may walke circumspectly, taking heede to our selues, in our eatings, in our apparell, in our companie, in our recrea­tions, often considering our wayes, and labouring quick­lie after euerie error, to turne our féete into thy testimonies. And (Lord) cause vs to be ear­nestlie mindfull of the estate of thy whole Church: blesse all kingdomes and states profes­sing thy truth, bee gratious especiallie to this our king­dome, forgiue the crying sins of the times, continue thy gos­pel, disappoint the hope and ex­pectation [Page 13] of all Papists, let them perish as manie as haue euill will at Sion, discouer Antichrist more and more, en­large the territories of thy church, stablish thy kingdome of grace, hasten the kingdome of glorie. Heape thy blessings vppon our gratious King, make him a further instru­ment of much good vnto thy chosen, blesse his Quéen, pros­per the worke of thine owne handes begun in the young Prince, shew mercy to the rest of the royall progenie. Be gra­cious to the Councell, to the Court, the Nobles, the Gentry of the Realme, graunt that they may all ayme at the ho­nouring [Page 14] of thee, by whom they haue receiued honor amongst men; Bee with the Magistra­cy & Ministrie of the Realme, make thy word to grow by the labours of those whome thou hast appointed to the seruice of thy church: Containe the sub­iects in their due obedience to authority, bring to nought all tumultuous & rebellious prac­tises; comfort al thine afflicted seruants, refresh them with a sweete feeling of thy fauour. Giue vs compassionate harts, and a fellow feeling of others miseries; prepare vs vnto the daie of triall, and keepe vs by thy mightie power, through faith, vnto saluation. Graunt [Page 15] vs these good thinges, for Christs sake: in whose name, wee commend our selues and our sutes vnto thee, saying as he hath taught vs,

Our Father &c.

2. An Euening Prayer for priuate Families.

O Lord our GOD, most mercifull and gratious in Iesus christ, among other thy mercies, with which thou doest euen follow vs thy most vnthankfull ser­uants, we acknowledge this to be none of the least, that we haue this comfortable free­dom [Page 16] of comming into thy pre­sence, there to poure out our soules before thee, and to laie open our necessities vnto thee. We praie thee teach vs to va­lue this priuiledge according to the true worth thereof; that wee may come together to the performance of this duty with glad hearts, and cheerefull spi­rits, reioycing in it that wee haue opportunitie giuen vs, to testifie some part of that great dutie, which in manie respects wee owe vnto thy maiestie. And now (Lorde) being come before thee, wee cannot but confesse the vile­nesse of our estate: wee were conceiued in sinne, and in sin [Page 17] wee haue continued all our dayes, wee haue euen drunke iniquitie like water, wee haue drawne it after vs, and tyed it vnto vs as with cartropes, wickednesse hath beene swéet in our mouth, we haue fauou­red it and would not forsake it: we haue euen made a mocke of sinne, and it hath beene a pastime to vs to doe wickedly. Thou hast often called vs, but we haue still refused: thou hast againe and againe stretched out thine hand, but wee haue not regarded: thou hast sought to reclayme vs, but wee haue hardned our neckes as it were yron sinewes, and haue hated to be reformed. Thou hast wai­ted [Page 18] to haue mercie vppon vs, thy spirit hath striuen with vs, thy verie bowels haue beene troubled for vs; and how gra­ciouslie hast thou called vpon vs by thy word? saying, Re­turne yee sonnes of Adam: why will ye die? Come vnto me and ye shall finde rest for your soules: Yet we notwith­standing haue despised thy pa­tience, wee haue abused thy goodnes, we haue turned thy graces into wantonnesse, and haue giuen thee cause to heape vppon vs all those fearefull plagues, and punishmentes, which in the extreamitie of thy law are belonging to the wic­ked. When we looke into our [Page 19] hearts, we see nothing but a confused heape of grosse cor­ruptions, vanitie, ignorance, frowardnes, vnteachablenes, dulnes, vnwillingnes and vn­aptnes vnto good, pronenesse & readines to any manner of e­uill, secure, irreligious, pro­fane, vncleane enuious, coue­tous and gréedy thoughts, per­uerse and disordred affections, all these (as it were) march­ing together to rebell against thee, and leading vs captiue vnto sinne. The verie wise­dome of our flesh is death, and the spirits of our minds are de­filed: when we look forth into our liues, wee behold sinnes more in number then y^e haires [Page 20] of our head: when wee take view of our selues in the glasse of thy Law, we can see in our bodies and soules, in our out­ward and inward man, no­thing but vglines and defor­mitie. Yea the sinnes of this one daie are sufficient to bring downe vppon vs the eternall weight of thy displeasur. How negligent haue we béen in our callings! how haue we yeel­ded to our own vnbridled lusts in the vse of thy creatures! how haue we cherished in our selues worldlie, carnall and voluptuous thoughts! howe many blessings haue we vn­thankefully enioyed, neuer thinking vpon thee which didst [Page 21] bestow them! how haue wee misspent this pretious time which thou vouchsafest vs! how manie good opportuni­ties haue we let slip, by which wee might haue edified our selues, & done good to others! howe negligentlie haue wee kept our heartes, by meanes whereof sathan hath got great vantage against vs! how slen­derlie haue wee bewailed the iniquities of the times! howe poorelie haue wee striuen a­gainst our owne corruptions! O LORD, if thou shouldest straightlie marke our iniqui­ties, O Lord, how shall wee stand, where shall we appeare, what shal become of vs? what [Page 22] answere shall wee bee able to make thée to one of a thousand. And yet (most gratious God) which is worst of all, cus­tome in euill, hath bred such a hardnesse in vs, and hath brought such a crust vpon our consciences, that wee cannot be perswaded that thy wrath is so terrible, or our sinne so greeuous, or our estate so wo­full as indeede it is. Hence it commeth that we do not stand in such awe of thy maiestie, as we should, we doe not so trem­ble at thy iustice, nor esteeme thy promises and mercies as we ought to doe: wee beseech thée therefore to take the stony hearts out of our bodies, and [Page 23] to put newe spirites into our bowels, that wee maie with feeling and with a liuelie and sensible apprehension, confesse our selues to bee, as we are; poore, and wretched, and mise­rable, and blind, & naked, such as in whom there is no good­nes, such as to whom there is nothing due but shame and confusion of face for euer. And héere (Lord) according to that measure of spirituall féeling which by thy grace wee haue attayned to, wée doe vtterlie renounce our selues, wee doe whollie disclaime all hope of help by our selues, we account all that is in vs but as drosse and dung, and do most earnest­lie [Page 24] entreate thee to looke vpon vs in thy sonne Iesus Christ; accepting his death and his passiō as a sufficient, absolute and compleate discharge for all our sinnes whatsoeuer. O Lord, let the chastisement of our peace be vpon him, and let vs be healed with his stripes: we haue no other name vnder heauen in which we can be sa­ued: and wee know that thou hast sealed him, and sent him into the world, to saue thy peo­ple from their sinnes: wee be­seech thée therefore for his sake to bee at peace with vs, put a­way our transgressions like a cloud, and our sins as a mist, forgiue our iniquities, and re­member [Page 25] our offences nomore. And withall seale vppe to our soules and consciences the fee­ling of this thy loue by the gracious testimonie of thy spi­rit, that wee may know that there is peace in heauen for vs, and that Christ is made of thee vnto vs Wisedome, Righte­ousnesse, Sanctification, and Redemption, and that nothing shall euer bee able to separate vs from thy loue in him. We doe begge this at thy hands, so much the rather, because wée see the vanitie of all things in this world; all things in it are subiect to vncertaintie: they are all lighter then vanitie it selfe; But thy loue in Christ [Page 26] is firme and perpetuall. For, with thee there is no shadow of change, thy calling and gifts are without repentance; and therefore wee pray thee, settle vs in the assured perswasion of thy loue, to y^e end that we may haue some comfortable vnder­standing, that whatsoeuer do be fall vs here, howsoeuer wée be tryed, yet after all, we shall lay downe our heads in thy peace, and be made partakers of thy glory. In the meane space, so long as thou shalt bée pleased to respite the dayes of pilgrimage vpon this earth, we pray thee, doe not leaue vs to our selues, neither forsake vs; but giue vs, as pledges of [Page 27] thy loue, those Spirituall bles­sings in heauēly things, wher­with thou art wont to furnish thy chosen; that so wee may make our conuersation such as becommeth the Gospel, wée may neuer discredit our pro­fession, or be a scandall and of­fence vnto others, but rather by our holy cariage may pro­uoke and winne others vnto thee. Helpe vs to this ende, wée beséech thee, against our manifold infirmities, against those euils to which our na­tures doe most encline, enable vs to shake off that sinne that hangeth so fast on: strengthen vs to euery good & holy duety, make vs perfit in good works, [Page 28] sanctifie vs throughout, and kéepe our whole spirits, soules and bodies blamelesse vnto the comming of Iesus Christ.

Make vs thankefull (as be­commeth vs) for thy many fa­uours, for that continuall pre­seruation which thou affordest vs, for the comforts of this day both to our soules and bodies, for thy enlarging our time and opportunitie to repent: grant, we pray thée, that our thanke­fulnesse may not stand only in outward showes, but that wée may be thankefull in déed and in trueth, labouring to be duti­ful vnto thee, which art so mer­cifull vnto vs.

And inasmuch as, O Lord, [Page 29] wée doe professe to beléeue the Communion of Saints, there­fore it becommeth vs to bée mindful of others in our Pray­ers besides our selues: we are suters to thee on the behalfe of all thy people, sparsed ouer the face of the earth: thou (O Lord) art priuy to their seue­rall wants: thou art onely a­ble to make a gracious supply: we beséech thée for them as for our owne soules. More par­ticularly, wee powre out our soules before thee for those Churches which amongst vs thou hast planted and vnited vnder one gouernement. Our sinnes (O Lorde) chiefly our contempt of thy glorious Go­spell, [Page 30] doe deserue a curse, euen that thou shouldst remooue our candlesticke, and cleane put out the light of thy holy word, and withall make vs a by word to the world by some extraor­dinarie iudgement; But, wée pray thee in Christ, vouchsafe to reuerse those plagues which wee haue deserued, continue those fauours which wee haue hitherto enioyed, continue and enlarge the fréedome of thy word, stablish the trueth of Re­ligion amongst vs by a perpe­tuall decrée, both for vs and for our posteritie after vs. To this end blesse all good means; aboue others, our Soueraigne and King, enable him euery [Page 31] day more and more to the dis­charge of that great duety wherwith thou hast entrusted him; lengthen his dayes, pros­per his Raigne, defeate his e­nemies: giue him and vs com­fort in his Quéene, and ioy in his posterity; Encrease wise­dome in his Councell, fayth­fulnes in his seruants, loyalty and true-heartednesse in his subiects. Stir vp Magistrates and men in Authoritie, to séeke the aduauncement of thy glo­rie and the wealth of thy peo­ple. Make thy Ministers able and willing to publish the se­cret of the Gospell, water their endeuours with the deaw of heauen, that daily such as be­long [Page 32] vnto life eternall may be added to the Church. And see­ing thou art pleased to exer­cise diuers of thy seruaunts with the crosse, some with sick­nesse of body, some with per­plexitie of spirit, some with losse of goods, some with re­straint of libertie, some in one kind, some in another, we pray thee to swéeten their afflictions and to season their sorrowes with the comfort of thy spirit; furnish them with a measure of patience agréeing to the pro­portion of their trials, and put an ende to their grieuaunces when thou shalt see it fit.

And (O Lorde) make vs ready for affliction: teach vs [Page 33] to remember, that wée must through many tribulations enter into thy blessed king­dome.

In our health, make vs mindefull of sickenesse, of death, and of our last account; that these things may not come vpon vs as a snare, but that wée may bée prepared al­wayes in some good measure, to submit our selues vnto thy most wise and holy appoint­ments.

And now, O Lord our God, wée pray thée, to beare with the weakenesse and coldnesse of our Prayers. Take vs this night into thy blessed tuition: [Page 34] we know that thou doest nei­ther slumber nor sléepe, kéepe vs from euill, kéepe vs from the malice of Sathan, from se­curitie and carelesnesse, from dulnesse and drowsines of spi­rit, that if it shall bee thy plea­sure to let vs liue vntill the morning, we may become so much the fitter to serue thee in our seueral callings, so as may bee most for the glory of thy great Name, through Iesus Christ: in whose Name wee commend our selues and our vnworthy Prayers vnto thee, saying as he hath directed vs in the Gospel, Our Father, &c.

3. A Morning Prayer for a priuate Person.

O Almightie Father, the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, and in him my Father also, how vnworthy and wret­ched a Creature were I, if re­ceiuing so many blessings frō thee I should not stirre vp my selfe to returne some thanke­fulnesse vnto thee for the same! It is euen thou (O Lorde) which from my first being vn­till now, hast couered me vn­der thy wings, and vnder thy feathers I haue béene sure. My body & soule, my health, [Page 36] my strength, my maintenāce, whence haue I these things but from thee? The safety of this night, the quiet rest, wher­with I haue béene refreshed, to whom can I ascribe it but onely vnto thee? That I haue liued hitherto, that I haue not béene swallowed vp with some suddaine iudgement, that Sathan had not had his will vpon me, that I know the way and the meanes vnto a better life, that I am deliuered from the power of darknesse and trans­lated into the kingdome of thy deare Sonne, that I haue daily accesse into thy glorious presence, whence are all these, but from the freedome of thy grace?

[Page 37]If thou hadst giuen mée my desert, I should haue peri­shed long agoe: it is from thy mercy alone that I am not consumed.

O Lord make mee asha­med of mine vnthankeful­nesse, wound my hart with the consideration of my owne dulnesse, whom so many kind­nesses haue not wrought vnto more obedience. And vouch­safe, I pray thee, notwithstan­ding the smalnesse of my de­seruing, yet to looke graciously vpon this my morning sacri­fice of prayse, which I do here tender vnto thy Maiesty: let not, I beséech thée, y^e scantnes [Page 38] and barrennes of my seruice, make thee to turne away thine eyes, and to haue no regarde vnto mine offering; But as thou art wont to spare thy ser­uants euen as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him, and in them to accept the will for the ful performance: so be pleased to looke vpon mée in Iesus Christ, and for his sake to remit my former vngrate­fulnesse, and to strengthen me by thy grace for the time to come, in some good measure to reforme the same. And to the end (O God) that I may ma­nifest the trueth of my desire to be thankefull, I beséech thee, to beget in me a holy care both [Page 39] this day and for euer, to walke worthy of that calling where­vnto I am called, to study to please thee with reuerence and with feare; & by a blamelesse, pure and vnrebukeable con­uersation, to shine as a light amongst men. I cannot, I confesse, doe this of my selfe, I haue in mee the same corrup­tion of nature which the most wicked hath: I entreat thée therefore to worke in mee that which is pleasant in thy sight: Giue me a cleane heart and a right spirit: make mee to vn­derstand aright the way of thy precepts, direct me in the path of thy commandements, knit my soule vnto thee, and make [Page 40] it to cleaue vnto thy testi­monies: stay mee, and stablish me, that my foot-steps may not slide. Crucifie my flesh with the affections and lustes: mortifie my members which are on earth: suppresse and subdue that law in my mem­bers, which leades mee cap­tiue vnto the law of sinne: Graunt that I may sensibly féele the power of Christes death killing corruption in mee, and the power of his resurrection raising mee vppe vnto newnesse of life; Make mee to resolue, to renounce euen my swéetest and best-pleasing sinnes, and not to take libertie to my selfe to [Page 41] continue in any knowne vn­godlinesse. Let it bée inough that I haue hitherto giuen the raynes vnto mine owne lusts: graunt that heereafter I may take no thought for the flesh, to content it, but may striue rather to curbe and to subdue it, and to bring it vnder the yoke of due obe­dience. And (good Lorde) encrease my fayth, and better my féeling and apprehensi­on of thy loue, that I may with courage and chearefulnesse runne the race which is set be­fore me; Blesse mee also this day in the dutyes of my cal­ling. Idlenesse and godlinesse cannot agrée: and it is thy [Page 42] will, that in the sweate of my face I should eate my bread: Preserue me from all fraudu­lent, guilefull, oppressing, grée­dy courses: draw my affections from the loue of the world: fixe my heart vpō the things which are aboue: If things succéede according to my minde, make mee thankefull to thée which hast giuen the blessing: If any crosse come, make mee patient and carefull to profit by euery chastizement. And because the daily occasions of danger to my soule are infinite, teach me to put on thy whole armor, and to kéepe my heart with all diligence, to furnish my selfe with holy meditations, to [Page 43] make a couenant with mine eyes, to kéepe my mouth with a bridle for the auoyding of all filthy communication, to vse such words as may minister grace vnto the hearers, to bée sober in diet, wary in disports, moderate in apparell, choise in my company, and euer to pra­ctise that cōtinuall feare which hath a promise of blessednesse. Finally (Lord) so guide mee through the course of this whole day, both in my priuate and more publique imploy­ments, that if I liue by thy suf­ferance vntill night, I may haue much comfort in the ta­king notice of thy grace and goodnesse towards me: and all [Page 44] this for Christ Iesus sake thy onely Sonne, and my alone Sauiour. Amen.

4. An Euening Prayer for a priuate Person.

MOst mercifull God and gratious Father in Iesus Christ, were it not that thou hast made a gratious promise in thy word, that whatsoeuer is asked of thee in y^e name of thy Sonne, shall bée bestowed, I should not dare to presse into [Page 45] thy presence, being guilty to my selfe of so many sinnes which I haue heaped vp in thy sight, from the beginning of my dayes vntill this pre­sent. I am by nature (O Lorde) the child of wrath, a vassall of Sathan, no better then a very firebrand of hell. It is thy great mercy, that I escaped the fury of thy wrath, due vnto mée at the very in­stant of my birth, in respect of that masse of corruptiō which I brought with mée from my my mothers wombe. Nei­ther haue I, since I came to vnderstanding, any whit a­mended or bettered my first estate: but I haue added [Page 46] to it a numberlesse number of transgressions, breaking eue­ry of thy commandements by thought, word and déede, sin­ning in many things against knowledge, against conscience and against that light which thou hast giuen me; yea, cleane against many vowes and pro­mises of better obedience. I haue no colour of excuse, no­thing haue I to plead in the defence of my many slips: If I dispute with thée, I must néedes lay my hand vpon my mouth, and learne to abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes. And (Lord) giue me, I beséech thee, a fleshy and melting heart, that nothing may more affect [Page 47] mée, or touch me more deepely then to sée my owne vilenesse, and how disobedient and stub­borne I haue béene towardes thee, which hast euen heaped vpon mee so many fauours. Make me ashamed of my bar­rennesse and vnfruitfulnesse in my profession, who haue giuen thee iust cause to range mée among those hypocrites which make a shew of godlinesse, but yet deny the power thereof. Beget in me that godly sorow which causeth true repentāce neuer to be repented of; that I may bee grieued in my very soule for my sins, not so much because of the danger of hell that followeth, as because I [Page 48] haue offended thee, the loue of whose maiestie ought to bee a sufficient motiue to obedience. And for the furtherance of my humiliation & sorow, cause me, O Lord, to search & to try my wayes, to call my selfe to a straite account, that I may sée my sins in particular, the vani­tie of my heart, my extreame deadnes & securitie, my pride & hautines of spirit, my back­wardnesse to all good seruices, my worldly-mindednesse, my ambitious rising and crauing thoughts, my want of charity & mercy to others, my miscari­age in my place & calling, my idle & vnbeséeming speaches, my offensiue & scandalous be­hauiour: [Page 49] thus (O Lord) make me carefull to rip vp my heart and life, that so I may set my sins in order before me, & may thereby become the more hum­ble & the more forward to cast down my selfe before thee, & to iudge my selfe, that I may not be iudged of thee. Yet withall (most gratious God) make me able in y^e middest of all this, to reach out the hand of faith, & to lay hold vpō Iesus Christ, whō thou hast ordained to be y^e re­cōciliatiō for my sins. I know (O Lord) y^e vertue of his blood, y^t it can make my sins, though they were as crimsm, yet to be­come as white as snowe. O then (I beséech thee) couer my [Page 50] filthy nakednesse with his glo­rious righteousnesse; cloth me with the garments of his Sal­uatiō, that so therby I may be holy and vnblameable & with­out fault in thy sight. Speake peace vnto my Conscience by thy holy Spirit. Say vnto my soule, I am thy Saluation. My fayth (O Lorde) is but weake and poore: strengthen it, I beséech thée, and bring it forward, by thy mighty wor­king, vnto more perfection. Thou hast promised not to quench the smoking flaxe, nor to breake y^e bruised réede: beare then, I pray thee, with my scantnesse, and helpe my vnbe­liefe, perfite the worke of thy [Page 51] owne hands, performe it vn­till the day of Iesus Christ. My fayth is that I must liue by; it is my victorie: thou (O Lord) in mercy hast begun it: cherish it (I beséech thée) toge­ther with all those graces which accompany saluation, that they may bee in mee, as a well of water, springing vppe into euerlasting life. And graunt, y^t I may not be presu­mingly secure touching mine owne estate, but may euer and anone bee proouing and exami­ning my selfe, whether I am in the fayth or no; and that I may also study and striue to giue euidence of my fayth, by shewing forth good works, and [Page 52] by bringing foorth good fruite, euen fruite worthy amende­ment of life. I am compassed about with many weakenes­ses, and (as I haue found by the experience of this one day) Sathan is full of mali­cious cunning, to worke vpon all aduantages; O Lorde, strengthen mee to resist him, giue mee holy wisedome to to discouer his sleights, and grace to withstand his most sharpe assaults. Arme mee also against the reproches and obloquies of the worlde. I haue learned in thy word, that if I serue thee in sinceritie, my name shall bée put out as euill amongst men: giue mée both [Page 53] care to cary my selfe out of the reach of iust exception, and re­solution also to sacrifice my credit & estimation, yea, euen my life it selfe if néed be, to thy glory.

Teach mee to learne of the author and finisher of my fayth, to despise the shame, and to endure the speaking against of sinners, in respect of that e­ternall waight of ioy and glorie which is set before me. And now (Lorde) with the bowing of my Soule, I blesse thy name for this daies preser­uation. How many euils haue I escaped to which I was sub­iect by nature, and to which I had made my selfe subiect [Page 54] through sin? It is thou (Lord) onely which makest mee to dwell in safety. Stretch out the wings of thy grace & prote­ctiō ouer me this night: though sléepe seize vpon the eyes of my body, yet let not securitie oppresse my soule: kéepe mée from idle fancies & from vaine dreames: giue me a sober and sanctified vse of al outward refreshings, that I may alwayes in all things ayme at this one thing, namely, how I may be the better fitted to serue thee faythfully in my place and cal­ling; and that for Christ Iesus his sake, thy onely Sonne, and through thy mercy, my lo­uing Sauiour, Amen.

5. A more particular Morning Prayer on the beginning of a Sab­bath day.

MAnifold (O Lorde) are thy mercies, & thy good­nesse is infinite. In euery par­ticular which befalleth mee, I haue aboundant experience of thy loue. It is much (most gratious God) that I, which haue so many wayes prouo­ked thee, should bee let to liue, to behold the light and comfort of the day: But much more is it, that hauing béene hereto­fore a profaner of thy holy day, a barren and an hypocriticall [Page 56] professor of thy word, a fruit­lesse and an vnprofitable hea­rer, I should yet enioy the bles­sed opportunitie of another Sabaoth. How iustly mightst thou long since haue fatted vp my heart and giuen mee ouer vnto a reprobate mind, taking from me the comfortable and happie freedome of going into thy house, and of giuing atten­dance vpon the postes of thy doores! O teach mee (I pray theée) to value thy mercy in this behalfe according to the true worth thereof: Suffer me not slightly to entertaine either this or any other of thy fauours. And, as thou hast brought mee to the beginning [Page 57] of this holy rest: so enable me, (I beséech thee) to thee sancti­fying it, and to such a kind of spending the same as thou re­quirest. Teach mee to re­member that it is thine owne ordinance, euen one of those vnchangeable lawes, which thou wrotest with thine owne finger, that this day should af­ter a more speciall manner be diuerted & deuoted to thy ser­uice, & that thou hast not there­fore restrained outward im­ployments in our callings be­cause idelenes pleaseth thee, or because ease giuen vnto y^e flesh is a part of thy worship; but y^t y^u hast in thy infinite wisedome so appointed it, that being fréed [Page 58] from all other encombrances, we might wholy apply our selues, eyther to the publique or priuate exercises of godlinesse Giue mee therefore grace (I most humbly entreat thee) that I may call thy Sabbaoth a delight to consecrate it as glori­ous vnto thee, and that I may beware of doing mine owne waies, or of séeking mine own will, or of speaking vaine words, and may euen bind my selfe to a serious and continu­ed course of seruing thée in the practise of such dueties as be­long to the hallowing of this day. I know (O Lord) that herein I shall méet with many lets; mine owne corrupt na­ture [Page 59] will repine & thinke this a yoke and a burden that can­not be endured: abroad in the world, I shall sée many vaine fashions, followed by great troupes, making thy day a day of carnal pleasure; I shall be derided and scorned, if I refuse to doe as others doe. I shal méet also with many cun­ning perswaders, which will séeke by plausible reasons to draw mee from diligence and constancy in this course. O Lorde (I beséech thée) euen with the bowing of my heart, to make me strong against all these withdrawments: Grant that I may more estéeme obe­dience to thee, then either the [Page 60] cōtenting of mine own sensual affections, or y^e auoyding of re­proche amōg profane persons, or y^e satisfying of men; be their pretenses, what they may be. I am taught (O Lord) & I do be­lieue it, that thy yoke is easie, & that thy cōmandements are not grieuous: & I know that by a holy vse in these religious seruices, I shall make them so familiar vnto me, & shall also find that excéeding swéetnes in them, that I shal euen long for thy Sabaoth before it comes, & the time will séeme short vnto me that is so bestowed. And for this day (most louing Father) I pray thee blesse vnto me the particular businesses thereof. [Page 61] In praying, giue me reuerēce to thy Maiestie, sense of my own wāts, fayth in thy promi­ses, fresh remembrance of thy former kindnesses, charitable & compassionate & yéelding affe­ctions towards others. In hea­ring vouchsafe mee an vnloc­ked & an vnderstāding heart, a right iudgement, meekenes of spirit, liuelines of affectiō, fast­nes of memory. In cōmunica­ting at thy table, bestow on me an hūbled soule, a hungring heart, a cōscience purged from dead workes, power of sweet meditation vpon the death of Christ. In looking vpon the administration of Baptisme, afforde mee mindfulnesse of mine owne vowe, remorse [Page 62] for my often fayling in that so­lemne promise, earnestnesse of desire for the good of the bapti­zed, ioy for the encrease of thy Church. In singing, take frō me all both dulnes and vanity, make me to sing with a grace in my heart, still striuing to lift vp my soule vnto thee. En­large my heart towards o­thers, as occasion shall be offe­red, that I may bee ready to giue to those that want, for­ward in euery good work, com­fortable to the sicke, tender hearted to those whom thou hast humbled, apt to make peace, where discord is. Let all workes of mercy bee a de­light vnto me, and make mee [Page 63] carefulll not to stay till I am prouoked, but to séeke occasi­ons to doe good. And when I am priuate (O Lord) sanctifie my thoughts, that I may me­ditate in good things, and may hide thy worde in my secret parts, and may loue it, and es­pecially that I may shewe the fruite of it in all my conuersa­tion. Finally, I humbly pray thee, so to guide me both in pu­blique and priuate dutyes, that when it commeth to euening, I may féele my knowledge to be encreased, my fayth streng­thened, my soule & conscience abundantly refreshed, and all this for Christ Iesus his sake, & for thine owne Names sake Amen.

6. Another Prayer some­thing more speciall, respecting the hearing of Gods word.

ETernall God, most grati­ous and mercifull in Iesus Christ, euery good giuing & e­uery perfect gift cōmeth down from thee: thou hast cōmanded y^t if any man lacke wisedome hee should aske of thee, & thou hast promised to deny nothing that is asked of thee in thy Sons name; In obedience vn­to this thy commaundement, & in assurance of thy readines to make good thy promise, I doe héere cast downe my selfe be­fore thee, praying thee, as at all other times, so now espe­cially to be good vnto mee. I [Page 65] am now (O Lord) by thy gra­tious prouidence, to bee a par­taker of thy holy word, y^e prea­ching whereof is the ordinary meanes appointed by thee to saue my Soule, & to draw me out of the power of sathā vnto thine own selfe. I, for my part, am vnworthy of so great a fa­uour as to bee admitted to heare it, and I am euery way vnfit & vnable to heare it with profit. My heart is ful of blind­nes & ignorance, my affections are froward and vntractable. I am euen reprobate by nature vnto euery good duty: I am dul of hearing, slow of cōceit, back­ward to entertaine, but apt to let slippe any good instruction. [Page 66] I beseech thee in Iesus Christ, by the working of thy spirit, to reforme within mee these cor­ruptions: Make me as a new borne babe to desire the sin­cere milke of thy most sacred word: graunt that I may re­ioyce at it, as one that findeth a great spoyle, let it bee better vnto me thē thousands of gold and siluer; Open my heart, as thou didst the heart of Lydia, that I may euen with a kinde of hunger and gréedinesse at­tend vnto the things which are deliuered: cleare the eyes of my mind, & anoint them with that pretious salue of thy spi­rit, that the scales of ignorance may fall from them, and that I [Page 67] may sée the wonders of thy Law, euen thy hid wisedome, which my nature of it selfe is not able to discerne: And, be­cause thou hast promised to guide the humble in thy way, and to reueale thy secret to the méeke, take from mee, I pray thee, a proud heart, teach mée to become a foole in my selfe, that I may bee wise in thee: Suffer me not to measure the mysteries of thy kingdome by mine owne blind reason and corrupt affection; but giue me grace to deny my selfe, and to labour to bring mine owne thoughts into captiuity vnder Christ, that I may not dare to oppose mine owne conceipts [Page 68] and fancies vnto the maiestie of thy trueth reuealed in thy word. Giue vnto the Prea­cher, a doore of vtterance, that he may open his mouth boldly to publish the secret of thy Go­spel. Direct his tongue that he may speak vnto my cōscience, & that if there bee any close cor­ruptiō lurking in me (as Lord, who can vnderstād his faults) y^e searching power of thy word may discouer it, and rip it vp e­uen to the very bottome. And vouchsafe vnto me that meek­nesse of spirit, and such calme and yéelding affections, that I may not repine nor mur­mure at reproofe, but may loue him rather that rebuketh, [Page 69] and may take it as a speciall fauour frō thee, that I am not suffered to go on in sin, nor gi­uen ouer to mine own corrup­tions. In euery point of holy doctrine taught me, make me to remember who it is y^e spea­keth by the mouth of man, that I may receiue the worde as a message from thee, whether it be comfort, or reproofe, or in­structiō, & so may giue it y^e reue­rēce & that awful respect which is due vnto thy holy Orac [...]s: And because (O Lord) as I am naturally forgetfull, so the de­uill watcheth to catch away the worde as soone as it is deliuered, therefore I pray thee to stablish my memorie [Page 70] that I may hold fast thy blessed trueth, and may alwayes haue it in store against the time of néed. To this end, make mée carefull in the vse of all good priuate meanes, such as are Prayer, meditation, confe­rence with others as occasion shall require. Beget in mée a godly discretion, that I may diligently search the Scrip­tures, whether the things I heare, are so, and may try all things; neither rashly reiec­ting, nor suddenly belieuing whatsoeuer is deliuered. And when I haue found thy trueth, so stablish my heart, that I may not wauer nor be caryed about with euery wind of doc­trine, [Page 71] but may continue in the things which I haue learned, labouring daily to bee led for­ward vnto more perfection. And séeing, hearing and know­ing without practise doe but encrease vnto more condem­nation, therefore (O Lord) do thou so water that which I heare, with thy heauēly deaw, that it may bring foorth much fruit in my life, & that I maybe a credite to my profession, and no disgrace nor slander to thy trueth: Grant all these things for thy deare Sons sake Ie­sus Christ, to whom with thee & thy blessed Spirit, I desire to ascribe all honour and glory now and for euer. Amen.

7. Another of the like na­ture, respecting the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper.

I Am taught (O Lorde) that without thee I can doe no­thing, and that all mine en­deauours are in vaine with­out thy blessing. In due re­gard whereof, I am become an humble suter vnto thy ma­iestie, that thou wouldest bée pleased to prosper and to direct my present purpose of com­municating at thy table. It is thy will that I should often come vnto this holy banquet, for y^e strengthening my fayth, & for the preseruation of y^e me­mory [Page 73] of Christes death. O Lord, strike my heart with re­uerence vnto it as vnto thy or­dinance, and as to a feast to which thou hast tyed thy more especiall presence, that I may not dare to presse in before thee vnprepared. Before I come, teach me to grow into a very strict examinatiō of mine own Soule, that I may sée how I haue liued, & in what measure I am furnished for so waighty a seruice. And, because I know that the more I looke into my selfe, the more I shall sée mine owne nakednesse and defor­mity, therefore I pray thee to supply mee from thy infinite fulnesse; Giue mee a through [Page 74] vnderstanding of the miserie of my estate, who am by na­ture a childe of wrath as well as others. Make me to sée the hainousnesse of those innume­rable euils and grosse sinnes which I haue multiplyed be­fore thee from time to time; nay, which I haue runne into since my last presenting my selfe before thee at thy board, when I promised better obedi­ence. O cause my stony heart to bléede within mee, when I thinke vpon mine owne scant­nesse in good dutyes and vpon my delight and forwardnesse to transgresse. Make me to be ashamed and euen confounded in my self for those many enor­mities [Page 75] which frō my corrupt and vnreformed heart doe con­tinually breake foorth into my outward man, euery member being a very weapon of vn­righteousnesse to doe seruice vnto sathan. Thus (O Lord) shall thy mercyes in Christ be swéet vnto me, & I shall come with an hungring and thir­sting soule vnto thy table. And I pray thee to encrease in mée that gift of fayth, that I may both come to this thine ordi­nance with a desire to enlarge it, and may also féele it to re­ceiue strength and growth of assurance of mine owne perso­nall and particular interest in­to y^e death of Christ. Remooue [Page 76] farre from mee all swelling, disdainefull and vncharita­ble affections: O Lorde, this is a feast of loue, and to it a ma­licious and a reuengeful heart can be no welcome guest. And when I haue presented my selfe at thy table, I beséech thee to restraine my idle and gad­ding thoughts, drawe them to the earnest & serious meditati­on of that which is y^e life of the Sacrament, the death of my Sauiour. Rauish my Soule with the admiratiō of his loue, that should giue himselfe to dy for me a most vile, vnworthy and sinfull creature. Stirre mee vppe, euen to vowe and consecrate my selfe for euer [Page 77] vnto him that hath vouchsafed himselfe to bée a sacrifice for mée. And after I haue receiued these pledges of thy loue, and seales of thy fauour in thy dearest Sonne, O make me truely thankefull to thy maiestie, and carefull both at the present, and euer after, to shew foorth the fruits of thank­fulnesse in an holy and religi­ous conuersation, to thy glo­rie, the good of others, and mine owne eternall comfort in Iesus Christ my Sauiour. Amen.

8. Presently after Re­ceiuing, before the Thankesgi­uing by the whole Congre­gation, a man may secretly lift vp his soule on this fashion.

AFfect my heart (O Lorde) with this eui­dence of thy loue, teach me in it to sée the riches of thy grace, who art pleased for my weakenes sake by such familiar meanes to figure out before me, and to seale vp vnto my soule, a treasure of that in­finite worth, as is thy fauour in Iesus Christ. O that I may as sensibly féele his death to be swéet vnto my Soule, as I do [Page 79] these creatures of bread and wine, to afford a pleasing taste and refreshing to my body. O Lord euermore giue mee such a féeling. And now (O hea­uenly Father) suffer mee not to depart hence forgetfull of thy kindnesse: but graunt that I may now at this instant e­uen couenant with mine own soule, to walke in a better course of holy obedience then heretofore, respecting all thy commandements, and endea­uouring alwayes to haue a cleare conscience before thee & before all men; that so glori­fying thee in this life, I may be glorified with thee in thy king­dom through Iesus Christ. A­men.

9. A Prayer for the afflicted in what kind soeuer.

O Gratious God, how hap­py am I, who haue such a strōg tower as thy great name to run vnto, especially now in this sad & heauy day of tribula­tion? I sée (O Lord) by conti­nuall experience, that the help of man is vaine, and that all earthly cōtentments, notwith­standing the flattering shewe they make, yet are but as a staffe of réede, vpon which if a man leane, it will runne in­to his hand and pearce it. If I turne mee to my auncient lo­uers and friendes, it may bee they will stand aside from my plague, & mine olde acquain­tance [Page 81] wil hide themselues, and I shal be euen as a stranger in the sight of my familiars: If I séeke to my neighbours. alas, what refreshing shall I finde? Trueth it is (O God) & thou hast so ordayned, that he which is in misery should be cōforted by his neighbor: but men haue forsaken y^e feare of y^e Almigh­tie; so that hee, which is ready to fall, is as a despised lampe, and few are apt to wéepe with him that is in trouble: Besides, the greatest part are so ouer­come with grosse ignorāce, y^t they are miserable cōforters & physiciās of no value, not able to minister a worde in time to him y^t is weary. Whither then, or [Page 82] to whom shall I goe but vnto thee (O most gratious & ten­der Father)? Thou art a piti­full God, thy compassions are great, thou art the Father of mercies, & the God of all com­fort, thou makest the wound, and bindest it vp, thou smitest, & thy hands doe make whole, thou hast commaunded to call vpō thee in the day of trouble, and thou art a helpe ready to be found. To thee, therefore do I lift vp my soule: Encline thine eare (O Lord) and heare, open thine eyes (O Lord) and sée, look mercifully vpon thine afflicted seruant: the dayes of sorow are come vpon me, euen changes & armies of miseries [Page 83] are against me. If my griefe were waighed, it would bee heauier then the sand of the sea; I am broken with one breaking vpon another. Make me (I pray thee) to consider seriously, y^t it is euē thou which hast done all this, that these things come not by chaunce, but by thy prouidence and cer­taine appointment, that so I may be dumme and not open my mouth to murmure or re­pine. Open mine eyes that I may sée mine owne deser­uings, and what cause I haue giuen thee euen to crush me to pieces with thy heauy iudge­ments, yea to cause the pit of thy eternall vengeance to shut [Page 84] her mouth vpon me. What cause haue I left vnto mee to complaine, when I am lesse then thy smallest mercy, and my sins greater then the grea­test sorrow thou hast layd vpō me? It is thy loue (O Lorde) from whence this proceedeth. In this course, thou doest offer thy self vnto me as to a sonne: thou knowest my corruptiōs, the rebellion of my heart, the crookednesse & vnreformednes of my nature, thou séest before some great euill that I am like to fall into, if I bee left vnto mine owne course, thou fin­dest me to be forgetfull of my duety to thee, cold in Prayer, backward and lumpish in holy [Page 85] seruices, well-néere lulled a­sléepe in the common security of the times: It is thy wise­dome to rouse me vp, & to put thy hooke of affliction into my nostrils, to bring mee backe into that good way from which I am falling. I knowe thou doest therfore chasten me, that I may not be condemned with the world. O teach me (I pray thee) to learne to iudge my selfe, to search & to try my wayes, to pry into my course by-past, that I may finde out those euils which beare in mée the greatest sway, and may in some measure vnderstande, what it is which thou aymest at in afflicting mee.

[Page 86]And enable mee withall to re­forme mine errors, to recouer my wandring, & to get a hap­pie victorie ouer my rebellious flesh: that I may be able to say hereafter, It is good for mee that I was in trouble, blessed be the time that the Lorde af­flicted me; and how sweet is the quiet fruite of righteous­nesse which springeth foorth from the bitter roote of tribu­lation? In the meane space (O Lord) vntill it shall please thée to put an ende to my present grieuaunces, teach me, not to make haste, or to séeke by vile and vnwarrantable courses to wind my self out of thy hands, but graunt that I may tarry [Page 87] thy leasure with patience, not daring to prescribe vnto thee what to doe. And when this storme is ouer, and the sorrowe past O kéepe me from securi­tie, make me to remember the vowes and promises of obedi­ence which I now make vnto [...]hee prepare mee to a fresh tri­all, that my care may be to bée prouided for whatsoeuer thy pleasure shall bee to lay vpon me. Heare mee in this, and in all other my suites, for his sake in whom thou art best pleased, euen Iesus Christ the righte­ous. Amen.

13. A Prayer, in re­spect of some losse re­ceiued, as of honour, or goods, &c.

O Eternall God, y^e God of prouidence, the orde­rer and the disposer of all things both in hea­uen and in earth: Be ready (I beséech thee) to heare the Prai­er of thy distressed seruaunt. Helpe my weakenes (I en­treat thée) and quicken mee to the performance of this duety of calling vpon thy Name. I am euē ashamed of my self, to sée mine owne faintnes, & how [Page 89] soone I am cast downe vpon e­uery occasion. O rayse me vp (I pray thee) and make me to lift my heart towards thee, ac­cording to whose good pleasure all things come to passe: Is it not thou (O Lord) which hast laid these things vpon me? art not thou he who both giuest & takest at thy will? art not thou the iudge which makest low & which makest high? shall I murmure against thee, which hast such an absolute & vncon­troulable soueraingty ouer al? shal I receiue good at thy hand, and not euill? O kéepe downe my repining & mutinous and discontented thoughts, allay y^e [Page 90] height and hautinesse of my spirit, teach me how to be aba­sed & to haue want, make mée to sée the vanitie of that which I was wont euen to admire, and to set my heart vpon. Let this abridgement be a schoole master vnto mee, that I may learne by it to draw mine affe­ctions from these fading and transitorie commodities. O Lord, what is honour? Is it not a blast, or as smoke which quickely vanisheth? What is wealth? Is it not lighter then vanitie it selfe? doth it not take her to her wings as an Eagle and flye into the heauen? O knit my heart henceforth vnto thee: O blessed Father, fasten [Page 91] my affections on the things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at thy right hand: make mée to lay vp treasure in hea­uen, & to seeke after that king­dome of thine, which cannot be shaken: frame my heart to the choyce of the better part, of which I can neuer bee depri­ued. Let mee affect the true honour which standes in the faythfull seruice of my sauior. Let me labor for that enduring and durable riches, which con­sistes in the knowledge of thee, and in the féeling of thy grati­ous sauour. Suffer me not (I pray thee) so to limit thy pow­er, as to thinke that thou art not now able to supply mée, [Page 92] sith the meanes which I was wont to enioy is taken from mée; but make mee faythfully to consider, that thy hand is not shortened, but that thou hast inough in store for those that loue thee. Thou art able to giue me a great deale more, & after thou hast exercised mée awhile, to blesse my last dayes with more abundance then the first: thou canst make the little meale in the barrell not to waste, and the small quantitie of oyle not to diminish: thou canst cause a small thing to bée better vnto mee then great ri­ches to the mightie, and a din­ner of greene hearbes to bée more sauory to me, then a stal­led [Page 93] Oxe to them. O there­fore I beséech thee, restrayne my desires, make me willing­lie to submit my selfe to thy wisedom; Let thy prouidence & promise bee my store-house, and the stocke that I rely vn­to: let this satisfy mée, that though I lose all that I haue, yet inasmuch as thou hast once loued mée in Christ, I shall neuer lose thy fauour. And let not the beholding of my children & family disharten mee, or make mee to cast pe­rils, and to say, Wherewith shall I feed them? How shall I clothe them? O Lord they are better then many spar­rowes, [Page 94] and dearer vnto thee then the lylies of the fielde; thy promise of mercy is entayled to my posterity: O let my faith rest vpon this foundation. Prepare me (I pray thee) to further trials, make mée ready by degrées to lose euen my life it selfe, if it may be for thy glory. And thus (O Lord) de­siring to reckō euen this crosse (though my vnreformed na­ture doeth gainesay it) among thy chiefest fauours, I com­mend my selfe and my poore Prayers vnto thee in Christ Iesus thy beloued Sonne, and my belieued sauiour. Amen.

11. A Prayer, fitted to the losse of an especiall friend, as a Father or Husband, &c.

O Almightie Lord God, whose glory is aboue the heauens, and which hast thy dwelling on high, but yet abasest thy selfe to behold the things in the earth, be pleased, euen for thy dearest Sonnes sake, to cast down thy compassionate eye vpon my afflicted & grieued case. Com­fort (Lorde) comfort (I pray thee) thy seruants soule, suffer me not to be swallowed vp of discouragement. Thou hast taken from mee the very staffe [Page 96] of mine estate, one, vpon whō (in the ey of flesh & blood) al my cōfort did depend; He is now gone y^e way of all flesh, & hath made his bed in the darke: yet y^u (O Lord) still liuest, thou art alwayes the same, & thy yeares shal not fayle. O rayse vp (I beséech thée) my languishing & discouraged heart, my drow­ping thoughts: make mee to looke towards thee, frō whom alone all comfort commeth. Hast thou done this, & shall I controule it? Is death thy mes­senger, and shal I murmure at his comming? Is my dearest friend, whom I loued as mine own hart, gathered vnto thee, his appointed moneths being [Page 97] now expired, & shall I lament his happines? Doest thou still hold me with thy hand, & euen cōpasse me about with thy gra­cious prouidence, & shall I di­strust? Is thy purpose and pro­mise & power to be my God, y^e same yet that it was, & shall I be doubtfull, as though I had made flesh mine arme, or as if y^u (O alsufficient God) wert tyed vnto outward meanes? Must not I also ere it bee long make y^e graue my house, & lye down with others in y^e dust? Is there not an assured hope y^t all y^e liue & dye in the Lord Iesus, shall bee ioyned together after death, and at the last day bée caught vppe in the cloudes [Page 98] to méet the Iudge in the ayre, and after that to bee euer with the Lord! I most earnestly be­séech the therefore (O my most gratious God) to moderate my passionate and vnrulely thoughts, to bring my violent affections into a holy cōpasse: Let me not be sorrowfull like those which haue no hope, make me to reioyce on his be­halfe, whose pilgrimage is at end, and whose Christian and holy cause doeth euen assure mee, that thou hast receiued him into euerlasting habitati­ons. Teach me to haue a holy and prepared longing for the day of my dissolution: And graunt me that grace and wis­dome, [Page 99] so to loue those whome both Nature and Religion bind me to respect, that I may alwayes conforme and submit my affections to thy most wise and soueraigne disposings. To bee without apprehension of such losses, I know by thy word, that it is impious; to bée extreame & without measure in passion, is desperate: Kéepe me, I beséech thée, in y^e meane, that my sorrowes may bée tempered with comfort, & my heart may alwayes bee fixed surely vpon thee: Afford mée both this and all other néedfull fauours in and for the merites of my alone Sauiour Iesus Christ. Amen.

12. A Prayer applyed to the state of a man inwardly perplext with the horror of sin, with doubtings of Gods fauour, & with the ten­tations of sathan tending to despaire.

O Thou most pitifull God, & to those whō thou louest in Iesus Christ, most tender Father, neuer did there any poore chased Hart bray after the riuers of water, so as my distressed and amazed Soule panteth after thee. Oh that I had fayth to lay holde vpon that most swéet promise, by which thou callest all that are weary and laden to come vnto thee. Faine I would (O Lord) approche into thy gratious [Page 101] presence, and happy séeme I to my selfe, if I might taste though but (as it were) some crummes of thy rich mercy. Mee thinketh that all thinges which I sée in the world and which the sonnes of men doe dote vpon so exceedingly, are but dung and drosse in compa­rison of thy fauour: Oh that I might be but one of the low­est of saints, or (as it were) a seruitor or doore kéeper among thy holy ones. Thus I sée thy mercy, I admire it, I prefer it in my choyse before the grea­test treasure: but whē I would apply it to my own particular case, Oh what a world of dis­couragemēts do I méet with? [Page 102] My sinnes doe take such holde vpon me, that I am not able to looke vppe: they are so many, yea more in number then the hayres of my head, that my heart doth euen fayle mee to consider them. When I think how my Soule and Spirit is fraughted & defiled euen with whole millions of profane, hardened, secure, vicious, worldly & vnsanctified thoghts, how many offers of grace I haue neglected, how thy for­bearance hath béene abused by mee, how I haue béene a re­proach and slaunder to thy Gospel, how dead and lumpish and false-hearted I haue béene in thy seruice, how barren in [Page 103] good workes, and what little procéedings I haue made, go­ing rather backward then stri­uing vnto more perfection, how I haue cōtented my selfe with shewes of godlinesse: when (I say) I thinke vpon these and other my grosse and palpable enormities, I cannot but vtterly condemne my self, neither can I belieue that it is possible for so vile a wretch as I, to bee admitted into thy fa­uour. Sometimes I conceiue some litle hope, and I séeme to my selfe to haue some taste of thy fauour, and some kinde of assurance that I am deare vn­to thée in thy Sonne; but sud­denly my comfort vanisheth, [Page 104] my hope is ouerclouded with perplexed doubtings, and I am well-neere swallowed vp with meere despaire. Can a­ny mortal man (think I) know the mind of God: or if some ho­ly person may be so farre gra­ced, as to vnderstand Gods purpose touching himselfe; is it possible that so vile a crea­ture as I, shoulde come to such a high prerogatiue? Can the Spirit of the Lord, dwell in such a stinking and polluted soule as mine? will hee vouchsafe to giue mee an assurance of Gods fauour? Or if I might knowe nowe that I am in the state of grace, what assuraunce can I haue, [Page 105] that I shall so continue, being beset with manie imperfecti­ons? Thus (O Lord) mine owne thoughts oppresse mee, and mine own soule doth plead the case against it selfe: Nei­ther is Sathan, the auncient e­nemy of thine Elect, wanting, to adde affliction to my mi­serie.

Heeretofore his manner hath beene, to incite and to prouoke mee vnto sinne, by hyding and couering the vg­ly and most loathesome face thereof, and to beare mee in hand, that it was a verie ea­sie thing to repent, and that also thy fauour (O Lorde) might be procured by and by: [Page 106] Now hee enlargeth my euils, & makes my sins to appeare before my conscience in most terrible and hideous shapes; he telleth me, that my hypocrisie is apparant, that the guile of my heart is written in great letters and cannot bee denyed, that it is now in vaine for mee to sue for grace, there being no hope of mercy left for such of­fendours: that it is to no pur­pose for mee to pray; for as I can not pray as I should, o­therwise then in hypocrisie, so neither (if I could pray aright) can there bee any accesse vnto the throne of grace for the re­quests of such a trespasser. Notwithstanding (O most [Page 107] gracious God) euen in despite of his suggestions and amidst all those discouragements which mine own heart muste­reth against mee. I doe héere aduenture my selfe into thy most glorious presence; If I shall find fauour in thine eyes, shew me the light of thy coun­tenance and I shall bee safe: If thou say, I haue no delight in thee, behold, héere I am, do to me as séemeth good in thine owne eyes. I knowe what thou hast spoken in thy worde, namely: that if I draw néere vnto thee, thou wilt drawe néere vnto mee, and that thou wilt fulfill the desires, and ac­cept y^e vnexpresseable grones [Page 108] and sighings of thy seruants: Trueth it is (O Lord) I dare not say that I draw néere vn­to thee as I should, or that my desires are such as they ought to be, or that I groane vnder my sinnes with such an effectu­all and pearcing féeling as is fit.

All that I am able to doe, and that in much weakenesse, is to cry fayntly vnto thee, Oh draw mee, and I will runne after thee, make mee to desire thy mercy in sinceritie, bruise my heart, that it may yeeld out many vndissembled sighings after thee. Yet (O Lorde) though there bee in mee but such poor beginnings of grace, [Page 109] suffer me not (I beséech thee) to cast away my confidence. I am well assured that thou hast not forgotten y^e promise of not breaking the bruised réede, nor putting out the smoking flaxe, and of giuing a blessing vnto those which hunger after righ­teousnesse.

Is it possible (O Lorde) that thou shouldest leaue off to bee gracious, and shut vppe thy tender mercies in displeasure? Didst not thou send thy sonne into the world to dye euen for chiefe sin­ners? Is it not true, that whē sinne abounds, there thy grace aboūdeth much more? [Page 110] Could I euer so much as tru­lie desire reconciliation with th [...]e vnlesse thou didst worke it in me? Is not this request, Lord, helpe my vnbeliefe, the very voyce of thy spirit with­in me? Could I complaine of the hardnesse of my heart, or sincerely lothe mine owne cor­ruptions as being displeasing to thy maiestie, if thine owne finger had not effected it? Should I féele such a combate in my Soule, & such a tumult within me, if thou hadst not truely begun to draw mee to thy selfe? Would sathan so continually molest me, and so egerly pursue me with variety of most malicious and sharpe [Page 111] assaults, if I were still held captiue by him at his will? Rayse me vppe therefore (O Lord) I pray thee, refresh my deiected and cast downe soule, perfit the work of grace which thou hast begun within mee, make mee to heare of ioy and gladnes, that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce. Thou hast set me as a marke vnto thy selfe, thou hast writ­ten bitter things against mee, and made mee to possesse my former iniquities, thou hast hidden thy face from me, and taken me for thine enemy: cō ­fort me now according to the dayes that thou hast afflicted me, let mee behold thy face in [Page 112] righteousnesse, and restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation. Rebuke sathan, I most humbly beséech thee: though thou please to buffet mee with his messengers, yet let thy grace be sufficient for me, and make thine owne power in reuiuing mee, perfect and manifest by my weakenes, which of it sell is ready to bee pressed downe with euery tentation. Giue mee that holy wisedome, not to belieue sathan, no, though he speake the trueth; inasmuch as he is the father of lyes, and neuer speaketh trueth but for a wicked purpose. And (O Lorde) as thou encreasest my comfort, so withall encrease [Page 113] my care, that I may not fall from perplexitie to securitie, but that I may alwayes keep my heart with all diligence, proouing my fayth, and sear­ching my wayes, and exerci­sing my selfe vnto godlinesse. Make mee a carefull and an vnderstanding hearer of thy word, sith it is the word of life, a quickening word, a worde which doeth reioyce the heart; and because, except that be my delight, I shall vtterly perish in mine afflictions.

Make mee circumspect to preuent sinne, and fearefull ouer my selfe, that sinne may not grow strong vpon me: and graunt that I may study to [Page 114] preserue the peace of my con­science aboue all things, ta­king héed of wounding it with presumptuous sinnes. And (O Lord) stablish me with thy frée spirit, that albeit sathan séeke to sift me & to winnow me as wheat, yet my faith may ne­uer fayle, but may be as moūt Ziō which cānot be remooued, but remaineth for euermore. Thus (O my gracious God) hauing, through thy mercy, peace in belieuing, and ioy in thy holy spirit, I shal finish my course in comfort: which I pray thee graunt mee for his sake who is y^e Prince of peace, euen Iesus Christ, to whom with thee and the holy Ghost, [Page 115] bée all honour and glory, now and for euer. Amen.

13. A Prayer, then needfull, when a man hath some speciall combate with some one or moe special sinnes, against which hee desireth victory.

O Louing Father in Ie­sus Christ, it hath plea­sed thee of thine abun­dant mercie to giue leaue to euery humbled & di­stressed sinner, to pour out his Soule before thee, and thou hast bound thy selfe by a pro­mise both to heare and to helpe all those which séeke thée with an vnfained heart; The con­fident [Page 116] assurāce hereof hath gi­uē me courage (albeit most vnworthy) to present my self here before thee, & to conceiue hope y^t thou wilt not send me empty away. Wounded (O Lord) I am with mine owne hainous sins, my vntamed flesh doth al­wayes rebel & lust against my spirit: some good motions and purposes I sometimes haue, but (alas) they are quickely quenched, & y^e law of my mem­bers so preuaileth, that I can­not do y^e good which I would. I haue in me (I confesse) the séed of euery sin, & my nature is apt to be wrought vnto any kind of euill. But (O God) there are some principall cor­ruptiōs [Page 117] which do beare in me y^e greatest sway, & they do so e­uen raign in my mortal body, y^t I am forced to obey them in the lusts therof: The deuil also is ful of most malicious policie & he still worketh vpō all aduā ­tages, & out of al things almost taketh occasion to adde fuel to my wicked desires, & by plea­sing & delightful baites to lead them on vnto a hellish perfec­tion. The more I striue, the stronger (mee thinketh) these corruptions grow: which ma­keth me to feare y^e vtter quen­ching of thy gracrs, & the grieuing of thy holy spirit. Hereby my Prayers are interrupted, my meditations perplexed, and [Page 118] robbed of their wonted swéet­nesse, my hearing and rea­ding of thy word is made vn­profitable: My fayth is en­countred with grieuous doub­tings, because I cannot féele that strength and power of thy spirit which I would. O Lord, if thy mercy be not my stay, I must néedes bee ouercome: whom haue I in Heauen but thee? whither shall I fly but to thy gracious assistance? I be­séech thee, to haue compassion on me, crucifie and kill these vnruly lusts, abate y^e strength of these violent and wicked de­sires: Weaken them, I pray thee, & suffer them not to haue dominion ouer mee. Let thy [Page 119] Spirit guide me, and lead mee into the land of righteousnesse. Or if it bee thy pleasure (O Lord) still to exercise me, yet leaue me not destitute of thy grace, but encrease it in mee, that I may grow vnto a lar­ger measure of sanctification: Make me hereby the more fer­uent and frequent in Prayer, the more strait to preuent all occasions leading vnto euill, y^e more ielous ouer my wayes, the more humble and vile in mine owne sight: that so euen out of euill there may spring good vnto me, & that I may sée the fulfilling of that holy pro­mise, that all things worke to­gether for the best vnto thy ser­uants. [Page 120] Heare me (I entreate thee) in this, and in all other my requests, for Christ Iesus sake thy best beloued Sonne, and the onely sauiour of thy chosen. Amen.

14. A Prayer of Humiliation and sorrow, after some special sinne committed.

O My God, I am ashamed and confounded to lift vp mine eyes vnto thee: mine ini­quities are encreased ouer my head, and my trespasses are growne vp vnto the heauen. I must néedes wonder at thy great forbearance, that I am not euen swallowed vppe or swept away with some extra­ordinary iudgemēt. And now [Page 121] (O Lord) especially, hauing so grosly sinned against thee, and done so great an euill in thy sight; How haue I (vile wretch y^t I am) wounded my owne conscience? How haue I laid my self open to y^e malice & mis­chief of the diuel? What a dis­grace & slander haue I broght vpon my profession? What an offence & scandal haue I giuen vnto others? What a ioy will this be to the wicked, that they haue now by me gotten some­thing to speak euil of? But (a­boue all O Lord) how haue I dishonoured thee, whose fauors haue bin so many & so continu­all towards me? I know not with what names & tearms to set out my sin, sufficient to ex­pres the hainous & hideous na­ture thereof.

[Page 122]When I thinke vpon thy pa­tience, vpon the meanes of grace which thou hast affor­ded me, vpon y^e light of know­ledge which thou hast giuen me, vpon the good motions, (as it were so many gracious ad­uertisements) which thou hast from time to time, stirred vp in me, vpon the profession which I make, vpon the sun­dry promises & vowes of bet­ter obedience with which I haue tied my selfe vnto thy Maiestie, vpon the diuers ad­monitions which (by thy pro­uidence I knowe) haue béene vsed to mee by thy seruaunts, purposely to preuent and to stoppe this euil in me, me thinketh [Page 123] I may call it rebellion (which is as the sin of witch­craft) or presumption in the highest degrée. And yet (O Lord) I féele such a benum­mednesse to créepe vpon mée, such a hardned crust to growe vpon my secret parts, that al­beit I sée my sinne, and knowe it to be excéeding great, neuer­thelesse I cannot so bemone it, so lament it, so grieue for it, so detest & abhorre it, as I should. Smite (O gracious God) smite, I beséech thée my flinty heart, make it euen to melt within me, at the sight of mine own transgressions; Settle in it y^e godly sorrow, which can­seth repentance vnto saluatiō: [Page 124] Humble my soule vnder thy mightie hand, and suffer mee not to fréeze in the dregs of mine own corruptions. Make mine head full of water, and mine eyes a foūtaine of teares which may runne downe, like a riuer, day and night: Oh let me take no rest, nor suf­fer the apple of mine eye to cease: cause mee to powre out my heart like water before thy face, that I may by all meanes testifie the vnfayned griefe of my soule that I haue so displeased thee. And grant (O Lord) that I may not sor­row so much because of hell and condemnation which I haue made to be due vnto me, [Page 125] but that my chiefe vexation may bée to thinke how I haue abused thy mercy, and requi­ted thy exceeding loue with so foule a trespasse. Withall (O most gracious Father) séeing there is mercy with thee, and that thou hast no desire that the wicked should dye, giue me leaue to become a sufer vnto thy grace, not in mine owne name (for what am I that I should presse into thy presence?) but in the name of thy dearest Sonne, the alone Mediatour, and the onely Peace-maker of his chosen. I most hūbly beséech thee for his sake to haue mercy on me: [Page 126] O Lord, a plaister of his blood shall be a most soueraigne me­dicine, to cure my running and rotten and festered sore. His stripes & wounds are of an healing nature: no sope, nor nitre of mine owne tempering can purge away my filthines: onely his bloud hath that scou­ring force, that it can make scarlet and crimson sinne as white as wooll. Oh then, I pray thee, wash me throughly from mine iniquitie, and accor­ding to the multitude of thy compassions, cleanse me from my sin. Turne thy face from mee, and from my hatefull and enormous course, and look vpon the perfite and vnspotted [Page 127] righteousnes of thy son. Sup­ply my emptienes out of his infinite fulnes, the depth wher­of cannot be fadomed, nor the store thereof consumed. Couer my vncleannesse with the rove of his holinesse, euen with the garment of saluation, with which thou deckest and tirest thine elect. And albeit I am of all others which either haue béene, are, or shall be, the most vnworthy: yet vouchsafe to certifie my Soule of thy grace & fauor, by the secret teaching of thy holy Spirit, make me to féele inwardly the ioy of thy saluation, restore to mee that sweet taste of thy loue, which I was wont to haue, & which [Page 128] I now haue robbed my selfe of, by this my disobedience to­wards thee. Let the apprehen­sion of my sinne bee tempered with a cōfortable application of thy mercy, that I may hold an euen course betwixt feare­lesse security and faith-lesse despaire; beholding at once, both my vilenes to humble me, & the riches of thy grace to reuiue me. And, as an eui­dence of thy loue in this be­half, strengthē me by thy grace to the making of the best vse of mine owne corruptiōs: Grant that the thought of them may kill in me al pride of heart, and may make me to abase my self and to become euen vile in my [Page 129] own sight; Grāt me to be here­upō the more watchfull ouer my course, y^e more diligent to auoyd all inducements & inti­cements vnto these or the like euils, y^e more apt to be taught, the more willing to bee admo­nished, y^e more forward to beg thy assistance, & the more cha­ritably cōpassionate towards others, rather pitying and be­moaning and praying for, then censuring their infirmities. And (Lorde) suffer me not, I beseech thee to satisfie my selfe with this, that I haue once made some shew of humiliatiō and sorrow for my falles: but graunt, I may encrease in the performance of these duetyes, and may euery day renue & enlarge my repentance for [Page 130] particular slippes, growing still into a deeper detestation of my sins, and desiring with more and more earnestnesse and striuing, to bee renewed in the Spirit of my mind: that so being cleansed from all fil­thinesse both of the flesh and Spirit, I may growe vppe vnto full holinesse in thy feare, through Iesus Christ. In whose name only I commend vnto thee my requests, and for whose sake thou hast pro­mised to deny nothing to thy seruants. So be it. *⁎*

11. A Prayer in respect of death, needful at all times but especially in sickenesse.

O God, the God of the Spirits of all flesh, and which hast the keyes of hell and of death; thou hast prepared them both, and thou rulest them both at thine owne pleasure. I be­séech thee bee mercifull to a poore trembling & weak-hear­ted sinner, and vouchsafe to preserue mee from the horror and extreamitie of dread, into which I am euen now ready to fall. When I consider (O Lord) how that I dwell in a [Page 132] house of clay, my foundation being in y^e dust, & y^t I must ere­long make my bed in the dark, saying to corruptiō, Thou art my Father, and to the worme, Thou art my Mother, & my Sister, O how my belly trem­bleth, & what a kind of rotten­nesse cōmeth into my bones! my spirit seeming to fayle me, & my heart within mee being filled with dismayednes. Es­pecially, when I thinke vpon the iudgement that commeth after it, & the straitnesse of that account which I am instantly to be called to, and vpon those euerlasting chaynes vnder darkenes in which the wicked are reserued vnto the last sessi­ons, [Page 133] I am then so euen ouer­whelmed with amazednesse, that I séeme to my selfe for the present, not to know where to find any true refreshing. I am told by thy blessed and not-deceiuing word, that the sting of death is mine owne sinne, and with it I daily feele my selfe goared and galled and wounded so excéedingly, that (mée thinketh) to mee (poore wretch) there can be no hope of recouery, but death must néedes bée as a passage to leade mee into the bottomlesse prison of hell. Rayse vp (O Lord I beséech thée) these my sad & vnquiet thoughts, teach mee how to ouercome these [Page 134] discouraging and killing per­plexities, y^e death may not be vnto me as a king of fear: nor I, as one of y^e wicked, whose hope doeth perish with their breath, & the candle of whose comfort is put out, when thou art pleased to take away their Soule Reuiue my memory, that I may call to minde, and cōfortably ponder those things which thy sacred word hath taught me: namely, how the nature of death is cleane alte­red to thy seruants, the sting is plucked out, & it selfe is swal­lowed vp in victory. To them the comming thereof shall be a time of discharge, they shall by it bee fréed from sicknesses [Page 135] of body, from anguishes of spirit, from all possibilitie of sinning against their God, from the tedious and discon­tenting societie of the vngod­ly: their flesh shall rest in hope, their graues shall bee vnto them as beds of ease, being swéetened and seasoned by the buriall of their Sauiour: the Angels shall giue attendance vpon their Soules, to conuey thē into Abrahams Bosome, to the fellowship of belieuers, to the spirits of iust and perfit men; so shall they bée with Christ: which is best of all. This (O Lorde) is the happi­nesse which cōmeth by death vnto thy chosen: Oh what are [Page 136] all the most torturing sicknes­ses, the bitter pangs and sor­rowes of the graue, vnto such a glorious exchange? Who would feare corruption, for a neuer sading crowne of righ­teousnesse? What is a mo­mentany yéelding of the body to consumption in the dust, in comparison of the euerlasting preseruation of y^e Soule, with assurance also, that in the time appointed these vile bodyes shall by the mightie working of thy beloued Sonne, be fa­shioned like vnto his owne glorious body, and so both bo­dyes and soules bee for euer with him in his kingdome.

Teach mee (O Lord) effe­ctually [Page 137] to apply these things to mine owne comfort, that so this timorousnesse procée­ding from the guilt of sinne, may be turned into a chéere­full expectation, and euen a longing for the day of my dis­solution.

And, lest I should beguile my owne Soule, in laying clayme to that spirituall re­freshing which belonges not to mee, make mee to labour for those assured euidences and vndeceiuing fore-runners of a happy departure. I know (O Lorde) that if I liue héere without conscience, I shall surely dye without comfort.

[Page 138]Holinesse here, is the way and path to future happinesse. I must seeke to glorifie thee, if I desire to be glorified with thée, I must fight the good fight a­gainst sathā, against the world, against mine owne corrupti­on, I must faythfully fulfill my course, and performe the seruice to which thou hast ap­pointed me, I must know thy trueth, and keepe the faith in soundnes and sinceritie to the end: otherwise it will bee in vaine to exspect a crowne of righteousnesse. I must come to the first resurrection, or else I shal neuer escape the second death: Graunt mee therefore grace (I humbly pray thee) [Page 139] to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all my dayes, and to endeauour alwayes to haue a cléere conscience towards thee, and towards men; Kill my corruption in mee, that I may bee euen dead to sinne, but aliue to thee in Iesus Christ. And because if I liue after the flesh, taking thought for it to fulfill it, I shall dye; therefore, I beséech thée, to mortifie the deedes of the body by thy spirit, that so I may haue my fruite in holi­nesse, and my end eternall life. Teach mee often to number my dayes, and to consider the vncertaine certaintie of my ende, that I may dye euen e­uery [Page 140] day, still looking and still preparing for my change, and making account that each day may bee the day of my disso­lution. Strengthen also my weake and faint faith, make mee strong in thee and in the power of thy might, seale me with the holy spirit of promise, as with the earnest of my hea­uenly inheritance, that so no anguish of sicknesse may dis­courage me, no pang of death dismay mee, no assault of sa­than ouercome mee; but that, come death when it will, or in what manner it shall please thee, I may boldly (through Christ) commit my soule to thee as vnto a faithful creator: [Page 141] Grant me this cōfortable bles­sing for his sake, who dyed to free me frō death, & from him y^t had the power of death, euen for Christ Iesus sake. Amen.

16. A Prayer more speci­ally fitted to the state and occa­sions of a sicke person.

O Most mercifull and gra­tious God, thou, whose prouidence reacheth into the most withdrawne and solita­rie places, and which cau­sest the beames of thy fauour to shine euen vpon chiefe sin­ners, vouchsafe to cast thy cōpassionate ey vpon thine af­flicted creature, whō thou hast laid vpon his bed of sicknes. [Page 142] Iust (O Lord) it is with thee thus to chasten me: nay, if thou shouldest crush my body into many pieces, and suddenly plunge mee into hell, it were no more then my due desert. What a stayned sinner am I by nature, stript of al goodnes, and easie to be wrought vnto any, euen the vilest euill? What a world of trespasses haue béene since committed by mee, notwithstanding the greatnes of thy patience, and the varietie of good meanes which thou hast vsed both to informe and to guide me vnto godlinesse? I will not there­fore (O Lorde) I dare not, I cannot plead against thée; It [Page 143] is my duety rather to magni­fie thy mercy, who art plea­sed so mildly & so fatherly to correct me; it being free to thy iustice, to cut me off as an eare of Corne, and to giue mée o­uer to the prince of darknesse, & to leaue me for euer to that woefull kingdome of eternall miserie. Vnworthy I am (I most willingly confesse) be­cause of my former slackenes and coldnes in this duety of calling vpon thy Name, to haue any small accesse into thy presence: Yet seeing thou art wont euer more to respect the trueth of thine owne pro­mise, then the desert of those which pray vnto thee, there­fore [Page 144] I beseech thee, which art pleased to call thy selfe The hearer of Prayers; to hearken vnto the hearty and vnfained desire of my soule. Sanctifie vnto mee (O Lord) this pre­sent sicknesse, let it bee as thy schoole, in which I may truely learne to know my selfe more effectually then heretofore. Make me to consider seriously that al paine and griefe is but the fruite of sinne, and that as all sicknesse naturally makes way for death, so death (in it self) is the fore-runner of eter­nall condemnation. Blesse this thought and this medita­tion so vnto mee, that I may make it my first care (now in [Page 145] this visitation) to séeke peace and assurance of reconcile­ment with thy Maiestie. To this ende giue mee a deepe touch and a sensible vnder­standing of my sinnes by past, take from mee all guile of spi­rit, all disposition to flatter or to sooth vppe my selfe, or to lessen eyther the number or qualitie of mine iniquities; Cause mee euen to breake and plough vppe my heart, to search and to try my wayes, that so out of the abundance of my féeling, I may powre out a most plentifull and sin­cere confession before thee. Let mee remember it to bée [Page 146] in vaine to séeke to hide that from thée, which thou (before whom all things are naked and open) doest know more fully and more directly then my selfe; and that the discoue­ry and laying open of my sins, is the next way to finde thy mercy in forgiuing them.

Adde withall that strength vnto my scant and smoking fayth, that I may, amidde the sight of mine owne transgres­sions, lay holde vpon the me­rite and fulnes of my Sauior. Make me hartily to disclaime all hope of help by my selfe, or any other creature in Heauen or Earth whomsoeuer, and to cast all my burthen vpon him, [Page 147] who by himselfe hath purged sinne, and whose death is an absolute and an alsufficient sa­crifice for the guilt of all belie­uers. Oh that I may féele my selfe knit and vnited vnto him: so shall I, in and by him, be presented blameles to thy Maiestie. And because (O Lord) I am full of imperfecti­ons, and there is in my nature much weaknes, and a great deale of frowardnes and rea­dines to repine and rebell a­gainst thy ordinance, therefore furnish mee with necessary graces, & with all such giftes as thou knowest to be fitte for my present case: Endue mée with patience, to beare what­soeuer [Page 148] it shall bee thy pleasure to lay vpon me, and méekly to submit my selfe to thy most wise appointments: Assure mee that thou which knowest whereof I am made, and that I am but dust, wilt not op­presse me with more then thou shalt giue me strength & pow­er to endure. Let mee not de­sire life, otherwise then for the further aduancement of thy glory. Subdue in me all loue & liking of this present world, grant that the hope of the glo­rie which shalbe shewed here­after, may be so strong within me, that all things may seeme vile vnto mee in comparison thereof. Make me comforta­bly [Page 149] capable of the aduise and counsell of my Christian friends, which in their loue shall goe about to refresh my Soule. Make mee able also to speake profitably and for good to those that belong vnto mee; Put vpon mée and in mee charitable affections and thoughts, to, and concer­ning others, being ready to satisfie where I haue fayled, and to remit euen where I haue receiued the greatest wrong.

Prepare mee to my last conflict, and strengthen me a­gainst sathans assaults, that in despite of his malice, yet I may still holde mee fast [Page 150] by thee, and resolue, though thou slay me, yet to trust vpon thee. And because (such is thy great goodnesse to vs thy poore creatures) sickenesse doth not alwayes exercise his full strength vpō our bodies: there­fore giue me (I beséech thee) that wisedome to make vse of euery breathing, and of euery little time of ease which thou doest afforde mee, that in it I may gather strength against the times of greater anguish. Bring still into my minde, those things which I haue frō time to time learned by thy word, that thereby I may bée quickned and find comfort in my greatest neede. And al­wayes [Page 151] (O Lorde) as the time of departure shall approache, so let my soule draw neerer vnto thee, my heart powerful­ly crying, when sicknesse shall take away y^e vse of my tongue, Into thy hands I commend my Spirit: Come Lord Iesu, come quickly. And when death hath parted my Soule from my body, let thy Angels (which do alwayes by thy ap­pointment pitch their tents a­bout thy seruants) conuey it into that place of rest, which the blood of thy Sonne hath prouided and purchased for thy chosen. To which thy Sonne with thy selfe and thy blessed Spirit be prayse and thankes­giuing [Page 152] now & euermore. Amē.

17. A direction for those who desire to performe the Chri­stian duety of prayer on the be­halfe of a sick friend or neighbor whom they come to visite.

WEe are vnworthy (O Lorde) to speake vnto thy Maiestie either for our selues or others: yet this duty lying vpon vs by commaund, & hauing a promise of hearing annexed thereunto, wee are bold in Iesus Christ to com­mend vnto thee the weake e­state of this thy seruant. All sicknes is from thee, & to thee belong y^e issues of death. Thou killest and y^u makest aliue thou bringest downe to the graue & [Page 153] thou raysest vp; to whom shall we go in this and other our ne­cessities, but onely vnto thee? Wee could wish (O gracious God) the continuance of his Christian fellowship, the lengthening and enlarging of his dayes, but wee willingly sub­iect our wils to thy determi­ning; Thou (Lord) knowest what is the best, & therunto make vs (we beséech thée) willingly and readily to subscribe, & to desire both his life & our own, onely so far forth as may be for his and our further good in the more diligēt & zealous aduan­cement of thy glory. Frame him also (we pray thee) vnto the like yéelding, and so blesse [Page 154] vnto him this visitation, that by it he may be more and more hūbled in the sight of his owne sinnes & may encrease withall in an vnfayned and longing desire after Christ: Enligh­ten his eyes, that hee may know what is the hope of his calling, & what is y^e excéeding greatnes of thy mercy and power towards all belieuers. Strengthen his faith, that hee may with it (vtterly renoun­cing himselfe) lay fast holde vpon the merites of our onely Sauiour. Protect him against sathan, blunt the edge of his assaults, that they may neuer wound him to despaire. Re­mooue from him a dull spirit, [Page 155] and all secure and hardned thoughts, all worldly desires, al lingring after the deceiuing swéetnesse of these earthly things. Giue him patience to beare, & constancy to endure whatsoeuer it shalbe thy plea­sure to inflict. Vouchsafe him comfort in conscience, ioy in the spirit, peace in belieuing, together with a setled and wel grounded exspectation of eter­nall life and saluation by thy Sonne. Graunt to vs tender and féeling hearts, that both his sorrowes and the griefes of other of thy seruāts may be apprehended, by vs as if they were our owne: Let thy word of grace bee in our lips, that [Page 156] we may be able to speak holi­ly, soundly and chéerefully to y^e comfort of his soule. Teach vs in him and in this house of mourning to sée the ende of vs all, and to lay it to our hearts, that so wee may labour to bee prepared for our last depar­ture. All these graces both for him and for our selues, we begge in all humilitie at thy mercifull hands, in the name and worthines of thy beloued Sonne, calling further on thee, as hee hath taught vs in his word; Our Father, &c.

18. A thankesgiuing for a sicke man, if God be pleased to send recouery.

SVffer me not (O Lord) to be in the number of those, who are forward to aske in the time of neede, but carelesse to shew themselues thankefull when mercy is be­stowed. Make me as desirous to come vnto thee with this sa­crifice of prayse, as I was ready to beg ease and refresh­ing in the day of my great ne­cessitie. Thou hast chastened me (O gratious God) and corrected me, but thou hast not giuen mee ouer vnto death. I looked to haue beene cleane [Page 158] depriued of the residue of my yeares and thought I should haue séene man no more a­mong the inhabitants of the world: but it was thy plea­sure to deliuer my Soule from the pit of corruptiō. Oh what shal I render vnto thee for this and all other thy benefits to­wards mee! Oh how and by what meanes shal I shew my selfe thankefull to thy Maie­stie! I haue nothing (O Lord) to render thee but the calues of my lips; accept my seruice (I beséech thée) in Iesus Christ: and let not the me­mory of this thy kindnesse dye within me, but graunt that I may often recount thy mercy, [Page 159] working there-with vpon mine owne heart, and apply­ing it as an effectuall motiue to obedience. Make me euer mindfull of the vowes & pro­mises which I made in my sicknesse, to serue thee more faithfully then heretofore, that I may make conscience to performe them, knowing that thou delightest not in fooles; & that by my neglect herein, I shall lay my selfe open vnto a greater iudgement. Teach me also to remember this, that albeit thou hast now giuen me some little respite, yet I must not deceiue my selfe in putting far off the day of my death, but that I ought rather [Page 160] to vse my health & strength to the better fitting and more ef­fectuall preparing my selfe thereunto. Together with the encrease of bodily and out­ward strength, encrease in me strength of care to walk with thee, and to approoue my selfe vnto thee in al holy cōuersati­on and godlinesse, being more zealous in Religion, more watchfull ouer my wayes, more earnest in Prayer, more feruent in Spirit, more care­full to profite by thy Word, more faithful in my place and calling then heretofore, al­wayes looking for the blessed hope and appearing of Iesus Christ my Sauiour: to whom [Page 161] with thee & the holy Ghost, let my heart féelingly & effectually giue all honour, prayse, might, maiestie and dominion both now and for euer, Amen.

19. A Prayer for a woman in the time of her trauaile.

O Lord, I now finde by experience the trueth & certaintie of thy word, & the smart of that pu­nishment which y^u laidst vpon me being in the loynes of my Grād-mother Eue, for my dis­obediēce towards thee: Thou hast greatly encreased the sor­owes of our sex, & our bearing of [Page 162] children is ful of paine. Teach me by this, to sée the desert of sinne, and to grow into the ha­tred of y^t which hath brought into the world such store of mi­serie. Giue mee true repen­tance & pardon for my sinnes past, that they may not stand at this time & in this my néed, betwixt me & thy mercy: Giue mee a comfortable féeling of thy loue in Christ, which may swéeten all other pangs, thogh neuer so violent or extreame: Make mee still to lift vp my Soule vnto thee in my grea­test anguish, knowing that thou alone must giue a bles­sing to the ordinarie meanes for my safe deliuery. Streng­then [Page 163] my weake body to the bearing of what sorrow soe­uer, by which it shall séeme good vnto thee to take triall of me. Make mee to remember, that howsoeuer it be with me, yet I am alwayes in thy hād, whose mercyes fayle not, and which canst giue issue to the greatest paine. And when thou hast safely giuen mee the exspected fruite of my wombe, make mee with a thankefull heart to consecrate both it and the residue of my life to thy seruice, through Iesus Christ my Sauiour and Redeemer. Amen.

20. A Thankesgiuing after deliuery.

BLessed bee thy great Name, (O my most deare & louing Father) for thy large mercy to me most weake & sinfull wo­man. Thou hast shewed thy power in my frailtie, and thy louing kindnesse hath preuai­led against my vnworthinesse. Thou mightest, for my sinnes, haue left mee to perish in my great extremitie: but thou hast compassed me about with ioy­full deliuerance. Maruailous (O Lord) are thy workes, in­finite are thy mercyes, and my [Page 165] Soule by present experience knoweth it well. O my Soule, prayse thou the Lord, and all that is within mee praise his holy Name. My Soule, prayse thou the Lorde and forget not all his benefits: hee hath heard thy Prayers, hee hath looked vpon thy sor­rowe, hee hath forgiuen thine iniquities, he hath healed thine infirmities, hee hath redéemed thy life from the graue, hée hath euen crowned thée with compassions. Oh giue mee (I beséech thee) a thankefull heart, not only now, while the memorie & sense of thy fauor is fresh before me, but cōtinually, euē so lōg as I haue my being [Page 166] Graunt that I may learne by this euidence of thy mercy and might, for euer hereafter to depend vpon thee: Quicken me vp to all holy dutyes, that my thankefulnesse may ap­peare in my pure and Christi­an cariage. Make me a kinde and carefull Mother, willing to vnder-goe the paines and troubles of education: let no nicenesse or curiositie hinder me frō those seruices to which both Nature & Religion haue appointed mee. Let mee also bee carefull heereafter, when time shall require, to season that which thou hast giuen mee, with the knowledge of thee, and of thy Sonne; that [Page 167] my desire may manifestly ap­peare to bee set for the encrea­sing of thy kingdom. Vouch­safe so to order my affections, & to bring them into obedience vnder thee, that if it should bée thy pleasure either now or hereafter to take this infant from mee, I may patiently submit my self to thy appoint­ment. And now (O good God) perfite in mee that strength which y^u hast begun, make me to growe in care to serue thée faithfully both in the duetyes of piety, & in other businesses of my place and calling; that I may be a comfort to my hus­bād, an example to my neigh­bours, a grace to my professi­on, [Page 168] & a means of glory to thy Name, through Iesus Christ my Lord and Sauiour. Amen.

21. A Prayer for those which are employed in the assistance & helpe of a trauailing woman.

IT is not our diligence (O Lord) or paines which can do any thing without thy bles­sing, & our sins are sufficient to bring thy curse vpon whatsoe­uer we vndertake. Be pleased (we pray thée) to be reconciled to vs in y^e blood of thy Sonne: Make vs to remēber y^t we are here in thy presence, & y^t all our thoughts, words & actions are open to thy sight: prosper y^e bu­sines for which wee are come [Page 169] together: put far frō vs all su­persticious cōceits, & idle fan­cies, & teach vs to séek help on­ly frō thy grace. Enable vs to speak comfortably to this pai­ned woman, y^t we may further her dependance vpon thy holy Maiestie, and may be a means vnder thee of her true refre­shing in her sharpest fits. Fur­nish vs with skill, and her with strength, patiently to awaite y^e appointed time of her deliue­rance: & knit al our hearts vn­to thee, that we may feare thy Name, noting & obseruing thy mercy and power in all thy works, & studying to giue thee prayse and glory for the same, through Iesus Christ our on­ly Lord & Sauiour. Amen.

22. A Thankesgiuing after, when God hath bles­sed their paines in the wo­mans deliuerie.

O Lorde, wee haue séene thy goodnes, and haue receiued an apparant token of thy readines to heare the Prayers of those which call vpon thée, and to succour those which flye vnto thee for thy helpe. Thou hast giuen ease and deliuerance to the woman, light and life to the infant, ioy and gladnesse to vs all. The glory and prayse is thine alone; Fill our hearts [Page 171] with thankefulnesse, & make vs forward both now & here­after to prouoke and stirre vp one another thereunto. And And let not our thankefulnes stand in words onely or out­ward shewes, but cause it to appeare in our whole course; that the obedience, the sobrie­tie, the modestie, the vertue of our liues may witnes y^e thank­full féeling of our hearts. Goe on in thy mercy, (wee pray thee) both to the Mother and her babe, continue & encrease their strength, so as may serue best for thy glory. And as thou hast added one vnto the num­ber of mankind, shewing thy wonderful wisedome & power [Page 172] both in the framing of him in the wombe, & in bringing him foorth into this light: so in thy time adde him also to thy Church, and beget him again vnto a liuely hope, by the im­mortall séed of thy holy word, deliuering him from the pow­er of darkenesse, (in which by nature we are al) into the glo­rious libertie of thy chosen. And if it shall so séeme good to thee, to lay any further triall eyther of sickenes or death vpon this thy seruant, or vpon the fruite of her wombe, pre­pare vs all to a patient and quiet bearing of thy hand, and to a contented & cōfortable re­sting vpon thy gracious pro­uidence, [Page 173] assuring our selues, that all things shall turne to the good and benefit of thy cho­sen. Heare vs (O Lord) and accept vs, and forgiuing the weakenes of our Prayers, graunt vs all néedfull graces out of the rich store-house of thy bottomlesse bounty, and that for Iesus Christ our gra­cious Redéemer. Amen.

23. A Prayer for a Souldier, fighting for his Countrey, or the confe­derates thereof.

O Lord, it is thy glorie to bee called (The Lord of [Page 174] hostes) and it is thou alone, from whom, when men haue made their most politicke and puissant preparations, y^e victo­rie must be looked for. Drawe my heart, I beséech thee, from all relying vpon my own va­lor, or vpon the strength of the battaile in which I stand; and teach me to looke vpward, and to waite and trust onely vpon thee. Thou giuest conquest, and thou giuest courage; thou deliuerest from the perill of the sword, or else makest death a meanes of happinesse to thy seruants. Forgiue my sinnes, I pray thee, and assure mee of pardon by the witnesse of thy spirit, that the guilt thereof [Page 175] make not my heart to tremble in me, and to behold death as a messenger to conuey me in­to hell. If thou (O Lord) bée on my side, peace being made betwixt thée and my Soule through Christ, what can bee against mee, what hazard can befall my Soule! Nothing shall be able to depriue mee of thy loue. Let not spoyle, or blood, or mine owne aduance­ment be the ends of mine at­tempts, but make me to ayme onely at thy glory in the de­fence of thy trueth, and in the good and safety of the State wherein I liue. The issue of all things to thee (O Lorde) is knowen, but to man it is [Page 176] hidden, prepare me therefore indifferently to whatsoeuer shall befall me. If I dye, giue mee comfort in my last brea­thing, and take my Soule into thy gracious hands: If I bee taken captiue, giue mee pati­ence, giue mee wisedome and godly courage to doe nothing contrary to the honour of my countrey, or preiudiciall to the profession of a faithful Christi­an. If I returne with life and victorie, make me thanke­full; kéepe mee from taking frō thee any part of thy glory. Preserue mee from those rio­tous, lasciuious and blasphe­ming courses, which are the vsuall fruits of good successe; [Page 177] Let me not thinke deuotion to be an enemie to resolution, or that a religious feare of thy Maiestie doeth abate the spirit that should bee in a Souldier: but settle me in this, that the assurance of a lawfull cause, the hope and confidence of a better life by the merites of Christ, the care to please thee and to depend vpō thy power, are the onely true grounds of valour, which can giue a man boldnesse and life in the day of battaile. Vouchsafe me these and all other needfull fauours in and for Christ Iesus sake. Amen.

24. A Prayer for a man trauailing by Sea, a­bout his lawfull businesse.

O Heauenly Father, vn­to whose eares the Prayers of humbled sinners haue fréedome of accesse out of euery place: let it please thee, to encline to me, who being prouoked by mine owne present néede, and taking heart vnto my selfe by thy liberall & large promises, doe desire to powre out my Soule before thy Maiestie: Heere (O Lord) by reason of the calling and place, in which it hath béene thy prouidence to [Page 179] ranke mee, I am come downe to the sea in a Ship, and I doe now sée thy workes, and con­tinually beholde thy wonders in this déepe. How easie a thing is it vnto thee, when thou raysest a storme, & liftest vp the waues, not only to tosse vs to and fro, and to make vs stagger like a drunken man, but vtterly to swallow vs vp, and to turne vpon our heads in a moment the bottome of these mouing houses in which wee are! It is thy great and excéeding mercy, that these swelling billowes & foaming surges doe not drinke vs in, and so make our bodyes to be­come as a prey, eyther to that [Page 180] great Leuiathan (the Whale) whom thou hast made to play here, or to some other of thy creatures, with [...]ire varie­tie and troupes whereof this vast body is replenished. But it is euen thou (O mightie Lord) which layedst the foun­dations of the earth, & which diddest shut vp the Sea with doores: thou didst first gather these waters together as vpon an heape, and storedst vp the depths in thy treasures: thogh the waues are maruailous, though the floods lift vp their voyce: though y^e waters rage and be troubled, and the very moūtaines shake at the surges of y^e same, yet thou art much [Page 181] more mightie, thou soone ap­peasest the noise, and turnest the storme into a calme.

Look gratiously therfore vp­on mee, I beséech thée, teach mée to vnderstand the great­nes of thy terror, by that fear­fulnes of thy creatures which I do still behold: Cause me to rest my hope and comfort vpon the power of thy mercie, let that be y^e anchor of my Soule both sure and stedfast. And lest my sins not being pardoned, should be a hinderance & stop­page to thy fauor, I pray thee, settle in mee an hearty & vn­fained detestation of them, a godly griefe and sorrow for them, a stedfast resolution and [Page 182] purpose in the whole course of my life to striue against them. Open my heart, that I may often & earnestly sue and en­treate for thy grace in thy son, and may neuer giue ouer till I féele in my conscience some comfortable assurance that thou hast forgiuen me. Fit & prepare me to thine owne ap­pointments; If it be thy plea­sure that I should heere ende my dayes, I know well, that the soule which thou kéepest cannot miscary: To thee ther­fore I cōmend my spirit, for­sake mee not (I pray thee) in my last breathing. Albeit these waues may ouerwhelme my body, yet let them not bee able [Page 183] to quench my comfort, or to plunge mee downe into des­paire. Graunt me euer to lay fast hold vpon my Sauiour, that neither sea, death, nor hell may separate mee from his grace. And if it shal séeme good vnto thee, to bring me safe vn­to that hauen where I would be; Oh that I may neuer for­get thy kindnesse, but may make conscience to performe that obedience which I am now ready to vowe in my ne­cessitie. Make me alwayes to take as great delight to serue thée, as I am now forward to aske, and desirous to receiue life and safety from thée. Heare me (O Lord) in these and other [Page 184] my petitions, forgiuing my vnworthinesse in the merites of Iesus Christ thy blessed Sonne, and my great Redée­mer. Amen.

25. A Prayer applyed to the state and condition of a malefa­tor, condemned by law to dy, and drawing neere to the time of his execution.

VOuchsafe, (O thou God of all mercie and compas­sion) to looke with pity vpon the most wofull case of a poore wretch, ready by the sword of Iustice to bee cut off, as vn­worthy to liue amongst men; & like also without thy spéedy fauor to be shut out of heauen, [Page 185] and to haue my part in the se­cond death; Trueth it is (O Lorde) that all this, though it bée grieuous, yet is no more then my desert: and touching that bodily death, whereto I am adiudged, I must confesse it to bee thy mercie and good­nesse toward me, that I haue béene found out by the eye of the Maigstrate, and stopped by the power of authoritie from going on into further e­uill. I beséech thée, that my death may bee both a chastize­ment to mee, and an aduer­tizement to others, to con­taine themselues within the listes of ciuill obedience.

But concerning my Soule, [Page 186] which is now ere long to ap­peare before the Tribunall seate of thy great Maiestie , I humbly pray thee, to be mer­cifull thereunto. I cannot but acknowledge, that if thou giue me my due recōpense, I must néeds be thrust into that dread­full place of infinite & eternall torment, which thou hast pre­pared for the wicked, the bur­ning whereof is fire and much wood, and which thy breath like a riuer of brimstone doth kindle: neither sée I in my self, or in any creature, any means or possibilitie to escape. Feare­full vnto mee hath beene the face of an earthly Iudge, & the sentence of death to bee inflic­ted [Page 187] vpō this my house of clay, hath made my heart to quake within mee; What then will become of mee, when I shall be arraigned before thee, at whose rebuking the very foū ­dations of the earth are disco­uered, & before whom no man liuing can be iustified? Thou (O Lorde) knowest all mine iniquities, they are sealed vp with thee, as in a hugge, they are all noted in thy registers: Although I haue many times sought for the couering of my euill wayes to hide my selfe in the darkenesse of the night, supposing that no eye should sée me, yet thou hast still com­passed my pathes, and beene [Page 188] accustomed to all my wayes, there hath not bin a thought in my heart or a worde in my tongue but thou hast wholly knowen it: Often haue I said in my heart, God will not re­gard, he hath forgotten, hee hi­deth away his face & wil neuer sée, I shal neuer be mooued nor be in danger: Thy word I had no delight to heare, I hated knowledge, I would none of thy coūsel, I sought to damme vp the mouth of my cōscience, y^t it might not check me; when my friends admonished me, I hated & scorned their reproofe: Thus it was a pastime to mée to doe naughtily, wickednesse was swéete in my mouth, I [Page 189] fauoured it, and would not be perswaded to forsake it: Iustly therefore (O Lord) hast thou thus ouertaken me, and made me to eat the fruit of my owne way, bringing me to be a spe­ctacle to the world, to dye as one of the fooles of the people; Yet (O gratious God) sith there is mercy with thee, and that thou art very ready to for­giue, be fauourable, I entreat thee, to mee a most vnworthy sinner. Manasse being put in fetters, and bound in chaines, prayed vnto thee, and humbled himselfe greatly before thee in his tribulation, & thou wast en­treated of him: The womā of Canaan, whom thou tearmedst to be no better then a dog, yet thou diddest afforde her some crummes of thy mercy, [Page 190] and didst cause it to bee vnto her as she desired. The thiefe, at his execution, confessed his sinne, & prayed to bee remem­bred in thy kingdome, & thou didst promise him an entrance into Paradise. O Lord, are not these things written for my learning, that I through the comfort of these examples might haue hope? Hath thy Word spoken it in vaine, that at what time soeuer a sinner sigheth vnto thée, thou wilt put all his wickednesse from before thée? Shall I thinke that thou wilt call mee being laden with my sinnes, to come vnto thee, and then when I come wilt not accept mee? [Page 191] Make me (I pray thee) to sée the depth of my sinnes, that I may not beguile my Soule, by lessening eyther the weight or number of mine iniquities: Worke me to a true and vn­dissembled acknowledgement and confession of them, euen before others, that they which sée my end and know mine e­uill, may haue some euidence of my repentance, and may learne by me to beware of the deceitfulnesse of sinne. Ena­ble me to looke with the eye of my faith vpon my crucified Sauior, casting my self whol­ly vpon him and desiring by him to bee hidden from thy wrath. Giue mee some taste [Page 192] of thy loue, and some inward and secret pledge of thy being reconciled to mee for his sake. Strengthen mee against the feare of death, that albeit I haue euery way iust cause to tremble at it, it being both the desert of my offence to men, & the wages of my sinne against thee; yet hauing some assu­rance in my Soule, that the sting thereof is plucked out, I may embrace it in my bosome, and entertaine it as an end ap­pointed for my miserie, & as a meanes to bring me vnto hap­pines. Thus (O Lord) with fulnesse of desire (out of the bottome of this misery and shame which I am fallen into) [Page 193] to fly vnto thy mercy, and to be shrouded vnder the shadow of thy grace, I commend my selfe, my soule and my body into thy hands, praying thée not to cast off him, which hath no hope but onely in thée, and that alone in and by Iesus Christ my only Lord and Sa­uiour. Amen.

26. A Prayer rising out of the serious meditation of the last Iudgement.

O Lord, thou hast reuealed it in thy holy Word, that the fashion and figure of this world must passe away, & that as by appointment wee must all dye, so also wée must all [Page 194] appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ, and that from thence some shal go into euer­lasting paine, and some into life eternall. This, y^e Atheists and Epicures and Libertines of the world doe thinke to bee but a méere fable, they say in their hearts; The Lord will doe neither good nor euill. But yet (O Lord) as thou hast deliuerd this in thy Word, (of which one iote nor tittle shall not perish) so thou hast not left it without a sufficient proofe in the very bosome of euery mā: The accusing or excusing of our owne thoughts, the secret checks accompanying those e­uils to which none is priuy, [Page 195] the feares of wicked men, who are continually as one that trauaileth of child, flying oft times when none pursueth them, and being chased at the very shaking of a leafe, are an euident proofe of thy proui­dence, and a certaine assurāce written as with a point of a Diamond (which can neuer be done out) that verely there is fruite for the righteous, and doubtles there is a God that iudgeth the earth. This truth (O Lord my God) thou hast taught mee to belieue, and I make no doubt, but it shall shortly come to passe. It was sayd long since that the Iudge did stand before the doore, and [Page 196] that hee which should come, would come & would not tary; and now, the height of iniqui­tie is such, and sinne is grown to that perfection, that it cannot stand with thy Iustice much longer to forbeare. Teach me (I pray thee) as I doe know & belieue this, so to make a true & profitable vse of my know­ledge. Let it bee euer in my thoughts, and in my best and most serious meditations: whē I am about by y^e proue­nesse of my corrupted nature to doe euill, let the remem­brance hereof be a bridle to me to restrayne me: when I am like by the iniquitie of y^e times to suffer euill among men, [Page 197] let the exspectation of the right which thou wilt then do to the oppressed, be a comfort to mee to refresh me. Especially (O Lord) grant mee to keep daily (as it were) a priuy sessions in the closet of mine owne heart, arraigning my selfe before thy iudgement seat, searching and trying my wayes, accusing my selfe before thee, frō whom nothing can be hid, confessing my vnworthinesse, bewailing my corruptions, suing with al instant earnestnesse for thy grace & fauour in thy Son. O that I may learn thus to iudge my selfe, that I may not be iudged of thee in that day.

Suffer me not to flatter my [Page 198] selfe or to blesse my Soule in any euill way, or to goe about to finde hidings and couerts for my sinnes; inasmuch as all things are naked in thy sight, and that in that great terrible day thou wilt lighten the things which are hid in darkenesse, and make mani­fest the counsell of all mens hearts. Let mee not imagine this thy great session to be like the courses among men, in which oft times by vniust meanes the vilest offenders do procure escapes: but make me to know, as the trueth is, that with thée there is no hope by corruptiō, or fauour, or fraud, or importunitie of sute, to find [Page 199] euasions. Thou art the Iudge of all the world, and thou wilt doe right; euery man shall re­ceiue the things which haue beene done in his body, accor­ding to that he hath done, whe­ther it bée good or euill. And whereas (O Lord) it is a great griefe to thy seruants, to liue among the vngodly, it must néedes vexe their righteous soules to heare and sée their vnlawfull deeds, let this be my comfort, that though it be thy pleasure to suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath, & to permit the tares to growe vppe with the Wheate vntill the haruest, yet then thy An­gels shall come, and shall ga­ther [Page 200] out of thy Church all things that offend, and bring the iust into the kingdome of their father. Seeing also (O gratious God) that whosoe­uer in this world wil liue god­ly, shall suffer, and ly open to the wrongs and iniuries and reproches of y^e wicked; Grant that if at any time, eyther my name be put out as euill, or o­therwise my estate or professi­on, or life, for thy trueths sake be called into question, I may possesse my Soule with pati­ence, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of thy glo­rie, knowing that then the iust, what disgraces so-euer are now cast vpon them, shall [Page 201] shine as the light in thy pre­sence. Finally (O Lord) make make me daily to grow so wearie of this vaine & wret­ched world, and of the heauy load of mine owne corrupti­ons, and of this body of death which is vpon mee, & to striue to gather that assurance of an interest in that glory which shall be shewed hereafter, that I may looke for this great day and in my desires may sigh for it and hasten to it; and that whensoeuer it commeth, I be­ing foūd waking with my lāp of oyle in my hand, may haue cause to lift vp my head, not doubting but to haue a graci­ous admittance into my ma­sters ioy.

[Page 202]Graunt mee this for his sake, which sitteth at thy right hād, to make request for mee, Ie­sus Christ the Mediatour of thy chosen. Amen.

27. A Prayer fitted to the time of warre.

O Almightie God, who art hie aboue all nati­ons, and whose glory is aboue the heauens, the comfortable successe of all enterprises is from thée onely to bee looked for; Thou art hee which giuest victorie vnto kings, to thee it is all one to saue by many or by fewe, thou [Page 203] canst make one to chase a thousand, thou canst cause the hearts euen of the most vali­ant to melt, their hands to bée weake, their mindes to faint, and their knees to fall away like water. If thou fight for vs, wee cannot miscary: if thou fauour vs not, wee must néeds bee discomfited. O bée gracious vnto vs, and bee on our side, now that men are ri­sen vp against vs. They take craftie counsell against thy Church, and consult how to cut vs off from being a nati­on, and by what meanes to quench the light of thy truth, which shineth in our streetes. Their desire is to embrue their [Page 204] hands in our blood, and to ad­uance their owne ambition by our ouerthrow. O turne their counsels into foolishnes, let not their mischieuous imaginati­ons prosper, lest they bee too proud: O our God, make them like vnto a whéel, & as the stub­ble before y^e wind, scatter y^e peo­ple that delight in war. Go out (O Lorde) with our armies, giue wisedom and courage to our captaines, gird them with strength vnto y^e battel, be with our Souldiers, teaching their hands to war, & their fingers to fight: Assist al y^e consultations, prosper y^e policies, crown those enterprises with good successe which are vndertaken for the [Page 205] common good & comfort of the State. Doubtlesse (O Lord) we haue deserued thine anger, & our sins do cry loud in thine eares for vengeance: and it were but iust with thee, if thou shouldest make vs a prey and spoyle vnto our enemies; But (O gracious God) let vs fall now into thy hands, (for thy mercies are great) & let vs not fal into the hāds of men, whose displeasure at vs is not for our sins, but for our profession and religions sake, and that they may fill their own enlarged & vnsatiable desires with those blessings of wealth which thou hast giuen vs: Put therefore thy hooke into their nostrils, & bring them backe by the same way they came. Let it appear y^t [Page 206] thou art in the middes of vs, & that wee shall not bée mooued, that thou wilt help vs and that very early: Let there be none inuasion, nor going out, nor no crying in our stréets; But set thou peace in our borders, make strong the barres of our gates, especially let the Go­spel of thy Sonne sound yet louder amongst vs, that by it many Soules may bee gathe­red vnto thée. So we thy peo­ple & the shéepe of thy pasture shall prayse thee for euer, and from generation to generati­on we will set foorth thy glory, through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour. A­men.

28. Another of like nature, respecting the time of Dearth and Famine.

CLeannesse of teeth (O Lord) and scarcenesse of bread, haue béene aun­ciently threatened by thee, as iudgements vpon the sonnes of men for their sinnes. Many wayes also thou hast to turne a fruit-full land into barrennesse for the wicked­nes of the Inhabitants: Thou canst make the Heauen ouer our head as brasse, & the earth vnder vs as yron, by bringing a drought vpon the land. Or else thou canst cause the séed to [Page 208] rotte vnder the clods, by com­manding y^e bottels of heauen to powre out raine in too great abūdance: or when the Corne is come vp, y^u art able to smite it with blasting & mildeaw, or to send among vs thy great hoste, y^e grashopper, y^e canker, the caterpiller and the palmer worme, so that although much bee sowen, yet little shall bee brought into the barne. Or if the Corne doe grow ripe vnto the haruest, it is in thy power suddainly to send in an enemy, to eat the fruit of the land, and to deuoure the labour of the people. And though the bread do come to be set in plenty be­fore vs, yet thy hand is not [Page 209] shortened, y^u canst take away y^e staffe thereof, so that wee shall eat & not be satisfied. Thus (O Lord) y^u hast euen store-houses of punishments, so that our hearts can not endure, nor our hands be strong in y^e day that y^u shalt haue to doe with vs. And heereof we haue now already some experiēce; For now thou hast in part begun to punish our abuse of thy creatures, our fulnes of bread, our contēpt of the spiritual food of our soules, w^t outward scarcity: The time is com, by gréedy worldlings long exspected, in which they may make the measure small and y^e prices great, selling euen the very refuse of the Wheat; [Page 210] Their treading is vpon the poore, their desire is to swallow vp the néedy of the land. Look mercifully (O Lord) vpon vs, wée beséech thée: lift vp thine hand, forget not the poor. Thou preparest for the rauen his meate when his birds cry to thee, wandring for lack of food, thou takest no delight in the confusion of thy creatures: thou hast promised, that if wée séeke to thée, we shall want no­thing that is good, thou wilt preserue vs in the time of dearth, and in the dayes of fa­mine wee shall haue inough. Accomplish (wée beséech thée) these thy gracious promises; Saue vs from this encreasing [Page 211] miserie, and deliuer vs from their crueltie, which being without all bowels of mercy, doe respect nothing but their owne commoditie. And be­cause (O Lord) our sinnes doe separate betwixt thee and vs, and doe hinder good things from vs: therefore humble our soules vnder thy mighty hand, make vs to see and to consider our owne deseruings, drawe from vs an hearty and sincere acknowledgement, how great cause wee haue giuen thee to affamish both our bodies and soules for euer. Giue vs an vnderstanding of our particu­lar grosse sinnes which doe lay vs open to this iudgement a­boue [Page 212] others: namely our wan­tōnesse, our pride, our luxuri­ousnes, our riot, our feastings without feare, our want of mercy to y^e poore, our spurning with the héele against thee, our forgetting thee in the dayes of our plenty, but chiefly our loa­thing of that spirituall Man­nah, that heauenly diet of thy sacred Word, prouided in thy abundant mercy for our Soules.

O make vs ashamed for these and other our monstrous sins, besides those personall euils wherewith we are each of vs iustly to be charged. Beget in vs a care to renounce and for­sake our sinnes, equall to our [Page 213] desire for the putting away of thy iudgements. Forgiue vs in Iesus Christ, and vouchsafe vs (as a pledge of thy loue) strength and grace to walke in a greater measure of obedi­ence then heretofore. And now (O Lord) teach vs to rely vp­on thy prouiding, and to know that when all things faile, yet thy mercies are the same, and thy power to help is not dimi­nished. Thou canst suddenly by meanes to mā vnknowen, turne the greatest penury in­to plenty, thou canst make a little to stretch farre, and canst proportion our appetites to our store.

[Page 214]O make vs to depend on thee, and to study more how to pro­fite by thy hand, then to haue thy rod remooued from vs. And when thou shalt shew thy selfe to haue heard our Pray­ers, by sending greater plen­ty, let vs not forget our pre­sent want, but graunt that we may labour to bee thankefull, and endeauour after a more so­ber vse of thy blessings then heretofore. Heare vs in this, and in all other our requests, for Christes sake, and for thine owne promise sake. Amen. *⁎*

29. Another like, ap­plyed to the time of some great contagion.

WHither shall wee goe (O Lorde) in the day of our affli­ction, but onely vn­to thee! Thou alone canst saue, and out of thy hands none is able to giue deliuerāce. Hea­uy at this time is thy hand vp­on vs, and fearefull is the dis­ease with which thou hast af­flicted vs: Wee are afrayde one friend and neighbour of another, and nothing is before vs but present death: Scarsely can we looke foorth, but we sée [Page 216] some one or other amongst vs caried away to the graue, & the mourners going about the streets.

Wée must needes con­fesse that though this he grie­uous, yet it is the smallest part of our desert; It is iust with thee, to smite vs with botches and scabs that cannot bee hea­led, and to make the pestilence euen to cleaue vnto our loines and to swéep vs away from off the earth, euen as a man swée­peth away doung till all bee gone. For, how haue we mul­tiplied our iniquities before thee, and to what a shamelesse and intolerable measure are our sinnes encreased? Many [Page 217] warnings haue béene giuen by thy Ministers, thou hast ri­sen early and late, and sent vn­to vs by them; yet wee haue made our hearts as an Ada­mant stone, and haue put farre from vs the euill day, perswa­ding our selues that their ser­mons were but wind, and that they did but commend vnto vs their own fancies; Thus haue we encouraged our selues in euill, and haue set thy iudge­ments at nought, euery one turning to his owne course, as the horse rusheth to the bat­tell, adding drunkennesse to thirst, and falling away from thee more and more. But (O Lorde) giue vs now at the [Page 218] last remorsefull and repentant hearts, make vs (as it were) to smite vpon our thigh as a signe that wee see our wan­drings, and that we are asha­med of our sinnes: Embolden vs in the name of Christ to come into thy presence, and in all earnestnesse of spirit to cry vnto thee, Take away our iniquities and receiue vs gra­ciously. Teach vs as well to feare sinne, the cause of this wasting sickenesse, as we doe the sicknesse it selfe, which is the fruite of sinne. Comfort vs, according to the dayes that thou hast afflicted vs, and let the swéet feeling of the graci­ous testimony of thy Spirit, [Page 219] speaking peace vnto our soules, preuaile against all o­ther sadnes, or cause of griefe, or sorrow whatsoeuer. Say (O Lord) vnto thy destroying Angel, It is sufficient; holde thy hand: Or if it be thy plea­sure to stretch thine hand yet further, and to take vs away also, O prepare vs to thine owne purpose, endue vs with a holy patience to endure the vtmost triall: and graunt that whatsoeuer befall our earthly tabernacles, yet our soules may bee alwayes acceptable vnto thee, and al for Christ Ie­sus sake, who hath loued vs, & giuen himselfe to be a sacrifice of a swéet smelling sauor vnto thee. Amen.

30. A Meditation or Prayer necessary for a poore man.

TRueth it is (O Lorde) that to my mutinous & repining nature, want is of all things most di­stastful, and pouertie is a bur­den euen intolerable. Some­times I am ready to call thy iustice in question, who mea­surest out so large & ouerflow­ing a portion vnto some, and yet art so strait and sparing to­wards mee. Sometimes & do almost condemne Religion to be méerely vanity, y^e louers whereof lye open to so great extremitie; Otherwhiles, my [Page 221] owne heart chargeth me with hypocrisie, telling me that no man euer perished being an innocent, and that if I did so feare thee as I should, thou couldest not thus forsake mee. And much adoe haue I to ma­ster my owne affections, and to restraine my selfe from put­ting foorth my hand to wicked­nesse, and from taking some strāge course for my own sup­ply. Thus (O Lorde) I am straitened, thus I am euen haunted with whole troupes of vnquiet thoughtes: all which, by the continuance and enlargement of my owne scarcitie, and by the vncom­passionatenesse which I finde [Page 222] among the men of this yron age, are rather multiplyed and encreased in mee, then any way slaked or diminished. But eternally blessed bee thy great Name, which hast ope­ned the gates of thy mercy, & giuen hope of hearing and of help, to the basest and poorest amongst men. Thou acceptest not y^e persons, no not of Prin­ces, thou regardest not the rich sooner then the poore. Behold therefore (O louing Father in Iesus Christ) to thee doe I cry, to thy Mercy-seat doe I stretch out my féeble hands. I haue learned (O Lorde) that miserie commeth not foorth of the dust, neither doeth affliction [Page 223] spring out of the earth; the pillars of the world are thine, thou openest or shuttest thy hand at thine owne pleasure. Thy wisedom also is infinite, and thy iudgements are vn­searcheable: who shall pleade with thee, to aske thee a rea­son of thy wayes? Let it bee inough for mee, that it is thy pleasure thus to debase mee; Am I not in thy hand as the clay in the potters? If thou doe giue me a larger portion, it is thy bounty: if thou doe abridge me, what haue I to complain, or what challenge can I make to that, which thou keepest from mée? Teach mee (I be­séech thee) not to look so much [Page 224] vpon this, what others haue, as to consider well, how little I for my part doe deserue to haue. If I doe but breath vp­on the face of the earth, if I had no house but the open ayre, no garments but ragges, no food, but the bread and the water of affliction, or the crummes that fal from some rich mans table, it were infinitely more then then my best desert. A sinfull and vnthankefull wretch, as I haue alwayes béene, what can I say is due vnto mee but perpetuall shame? When I iudge rightly of all things, so farre am I from being able to say that thou hast wronged me, or dealt too straightly with [Page 225] mee, that I must rather stirre vp my selfe to magnifie thy mercie which hast not layde vpon mee the vtmost of thy wrath, but hast giuen mee a time and an opportunity to re­pent. Let these things (I pray thée) y^e soueraintie of thy pow­er, the depth of thy wisedome, the foulenes of mine owne desert, the kindnesse which (notwithstanding some out­ward hardshippe) thou hast vouchsafed to my soule, mo­derate my violent affections, curbe my raging and discon­tented thoughts, bring my ranging passions into order, that I may alwayes say, [Page 226] It is the Lorde, let him doe what seemeth him good; This is my sorrow and I wil beare it. Open my eyes withall, that I may sée thy power, who canst raise the needy from the dust, and lift the poore out of the doung, and make him fa­milies like a flocke of shéepe, who canst commaund euen the very rauens to bring bread and flesh vnto thy seruaunts, the Heauens to droppe downe foode, & the rocke of stone to yéeld streames of waters, to refresh those whom thou art pleased to prouide for. Shall I thinke thy power to be aba­ted, or is thy mercy lesse then it was wont to be? Hast thou [Page 227] not made a promise neuer to forsake me? Am I not alwayes with thée, and doest thou not holde mee by my right hand? Shal I imagine thee to be like the bird whom thou hast de­priued of wisedom, & to whom thou hast giuen no part of vn­derstanding, who sheweth himselfe cruel vnto his young ones, as they were not his, or as if he had trauailed in vain? No, I am assured that though a woman should forget her child, & forbeare to haue com­passion on the sonne of her wombe, yet thou canst not for­get those whom thou louest in thy sonne. Thou knowest my wants, thou art able to supply [Page 228] my wants, thy loue will not suffer thee to leaue me desti­tute in that which thy wise­dome knowes to bee conueni­ent for me. Encrease my faith, that I may depend yet more vpon thee, make mee diligent in the place & calling in which thou hast set mee, frame my mind and my desires to that rate which thou hast allotted me, kéep mee from vniust and vnlawfull courses, from en­uying the abundance which o­thers doe enioy: possesse mee with this perswasion, that this my present state is the fittest for mee, and that when it shall be good for mee to haue more, thy hand shall instantly be en­larged [Page 229] toward me: Stirre me vp to seeke thy kingdome, and labour for the meat which en­dureth vnto life eternall. En­rich my soule with spirituall blessings in heauenly things: perswade my conscience of thy loue in Christ Iesus, that the féeling thereof may make all things swéete vnto mee. Cause me both to trust and to waite for thy saluation, and in all things to striue to giue thee thy deserued glory, and all this in and for thy Sonnes sake my onely Mediatour and Redee­mer. Amen. *⁎*

31. Another of like nature, fit for one whom God hath enriched vvith outvvard things.

IT hath pleased thee (O Lord) out of the freedome of thy bountie, to deale more largely with mee then with many of thy seruants, and to furnish me with store of those outward blessings, which o­thers (euery way as good by nature as my selfe) doe not en­ioy. My heart is fraughted with much corruption: and though riches be in themselues a blessing, yet without thy e­speciall grace, they will bee [Page 231] vnto me an occasion of many euils. Apt I shall be to lift vp my heart, to pride my selfe in my own conceipt, to trust vn­to my welth, to despise others, to grow in loue with this pre­sent world, to become cold and remisse in the best seruices, to conclude that I am highly in thy fauour, because thou hast enriched me. These be the dis­eases, which through the poi­son of our nature, do rise by these outward hauings, nei­ther can I say that my heart is cleane from these corrupti­ons. Purge them out of mée (I beseech thee) by the fierie power of thy spirit: Giue me pouertie of spirit and humble­nesse [Page 232] of minde, amid this out­ward fulnesse with which thou hast endued me. Make mee to remember that the more I haue, the greater shall bee mine account, and the harder for me to be saued: that by that meanes, my wealth may be so far from puffing mee vp with secure presumtion, that it may moue me y^e rather euen w^t fear and trembling to work out my saluation. Cause me to think often vpon the wordes of my Sauiour, that riches are de­ceitful, and of a thorny nature, choking the good séed of y^e word and making it to become vn­fruitfull: that so I may learne carefully to handle them and [Page 233] to vse them with great héedi­nesse and circumspection, lest I should by them gal & wound my conscience, or bee pearced through with many sorrowes. It is said (O Lord) that these high places of the world are slipperie places, in which it is hard to go with a right foote, & to kéepe strait and euen steps; Oh, stir me vp to so much the more care to ponder my paths and to take diligent héed vnto my waies; suffer me not to iu­stify my self to mine own soule, or to make my self beléeue that I am as I ought to be, because waters of a full cuppe are wrung vnto mee: but teach me seriously to cōsider, that as [Page 234] many of thy beloued seruants do feele the smart of pouerty, so euen the most wicked and those which do rebelliously trangresse, haue a large por­tion in this life, liuing, waxing olde and growing in wealth, their goods oftentimes excée­ding the very desires of their hearts. Grant therefore that I may labour for some better & more certain assurāce of thy grace, not grounding my hope vpon my wealth: but reioy­cing in this, if the due consi­deration of the daunger and vanitie of abundance may worke by thy blessing, to the abasing and humbling of my heart. Oh let not mine eyes [Page 235] be dazled, nor my hart bewit­ched, with the glory and swéet­nesse of these worldly trea­sures, which may bée taken frō me, or I from them euen in the twinkling of an eye: drawe my affections to the loue of that durable riches, and to that fruite of heauenly wisedome, which is better then gold, and the reuenues whereof do sur­passe the siluer, that my chiefe care may bee to haue a soule enriched and furnished with thy grace, fulfilled with the knowledge of thy will, in all wisedome and spirituall vn­derstanding. And because (O Lord) in hauing much, I am but a steward vnder thee, [Page 236] and a disposer of thy gifts, en­large my bowels towardes o­thers, make me rich & fruitfull in good workes, being a father to the poore, and causing y^e hart of the widow to reioyce, war­ming the loynes of the naked with the fleece of my shéep, not eating my morsels alone, but dealing my bread to the hun­grie, and neuer hiding my self from mine owne flesh. For why should I make gold my hope? or wherefore should I striue to lade my selfe w^t this thicke clay, still plotting to set my neast on high, when al that I haue or can haue is in a moment turned into va­nitie? Quicken mee vppe [Page 237] therefore to good duties, that the hearts of thy Saints may bee comforted by mee, and that in the place where I liue, I may by my forwardnesse draw on and prouoke others to all the offices of necessarie beneuolence. Let the bowels of the néedie bee my treasurie, and let it bee my desire & care there to lay vp in store a good foundation for my self against the time to come, not trusting to be crowned for the worth of my liberalitie (for what can that be to a Weight of glory?) but assuring my self y^e the mercy shewed by me vnto others, is a beam of y^e loue which shines frō thee vpon my soule. Thus [Page 238] (O Lord) shall I by thy good­nesse haue the true vse of thy blessings, together with a dai­ly encrease of much matter of thankesgiuing for thy great goodnes to mee so vile and vn­worthie; and all for Christ, and in his most glorious and holie name: to whom with thee and thy spirit, one true euerlasting and only wise God, bee all praise, and power, might, ma­iestie and dominion now and euermore, Amen.

32. A Prayer for the whole State.

EXtraordinarie (O Lord) haue thy fauours beene vnto this Kingdom; when we recount our long cō ­tinued peace, our victories, our plentie, our comfort by religi­ous and prudent gouernors: especially, the glorious light of thy Gospell which hath shi­ned amongst vs, our fréedome from the miserable bondage of Romish and Antichristian ty­rannie: wee must needes say, that thou hast not dealt so with euerie Nation. Indeede the crie of our sinnes is great, [Page 240] the verie heauens may blush to looke vpon vs, and the earth is wearie to beare our grosse, our shameles, our presumptu­ous euils: Thou thy selfe (O patient God, art pressed vnder vs, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues: Long hast thou waited for our repentance, and often hast thou vrged vs by the Ministers of thy word, to break off our sins, and euen besought vs by them to bee reconciled vnto thee. But wee haue ha­ted to be reformed, wee haue cast thy word behind vs, thou hast stretched out thy hand, and wee would not regarde; wee haue despised and mocked thy messengers, our hearts [Page 241] within vs haue beene fully set to do euill. Mercie hath beene offered, wee haue not estee­med it: iudgement hath beene threatned, wee haue not feared it: the very triall of our counte­nances testifieth against vs, wee declare our sinnes as So­dom, wee hide them not; all manner of foule enormities do march openly and confi­dently and without feare in our streets. How iustly migh­test thou powre out euen the vials of thy wrath vpō vs, ma­king vs to be a detestation, and a curse, and an astonishment, and a reproch to other Nati­ons, forcing vs to wring out and to drinke the very dregs of [Page 242] that mixt wine of thy fierce & terrible indignation. If thou shouldest bring an vtter disso­lution and desolatiō vpon our State, making our enemies to ride ouer ouer our heades, to clime aboue vs vp on hie, and vs to come downe beneath belowe: If thou shouldest take away from vs the Iudge and the Prophet, the honou­rable and the Counseller, and appoint children to bee our Princes: If thou shouldest make heaps of our Cities, and leaue our Townes without inhabitants; If thou shouldst at once quench the light of thy blessed word, and giue vs ouer to the seruice of dumbe idols, [Page 243] and our soules to be swallow­ed vp in the darkenesse of po­pish ignorance and superstiti­on; if thou shouldest make vs by thy iudgements a prouerb and a spectacle to the whole world, it were no other then wée haue deserued; nay, it is thy great mercie, that these things, and more heauie then these, haue not already ouer­taken vs. But (O Lord) bee mercifull to our sinnes for thy names sake: O thou which art the God of grace, looke graciously vpon vs in the Me­diator of grace, Christ Iesus. Wee haue nothing to plead, but his merite, nothing can wash away the foulenesse of [Page 244] our sinnes, but his most preci­ous bloud; Make (wee pray thee) our hearts to mourne within vs, both for our owne personall sinnes, and for al the abominations which are done in the midst of the Land: Oh that we might turne vnto thee with al our heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with sor­rowing; Oh that we could sée the thinges that belong vnto our peace: and might euerie man turne from his euill way, and from the wickednesse that is in his hand, and make his wayes & his workes good. Let it be thy holy pleasure (we hū ­bly beseech thée) to continue and to enlarge thy wonted fa­uours [Page 245] towardes vs; Stablish this our peaceable gouerne­ment by a perpetuall and vn­changeable decree. Compasse-in this Ilād, with thy fauor, as with a shield; Let neuer thine and our aduersaries, roare in the midst of thy congregation, or sette vppe their banners as signes of victorie and conquest ouer vs. Aboue all (O Lord) vouchsafe the comfort of thy Gospell, and the libertie of thy blessed truth: Grant that that may still be faithfully & soundly preached in our Chur­ches. Oh remooue not our cādlestick, though our falling frō our first loue, & y^e uniuersall slaking of our zeal, hath deser­ued [Page 246] it. Lengthen out the vse of it (we entreat thee) euen so long as the Sun and Moone endureth, that by it those that are yet vnborn, and shal come out of our Loynes, may bee guided and directed in the way of peace. And to this end, wée are most humble and instant suters to thy Maiestie, euen to thee by whom Kings raigne, and whose dominion and so­ueraintie reacheth ouer all; that thou wouldest multiplie thy blessings vpon thy King, euen thine annointed (King Iames) whose head thou hast lifted vp aboue others, and in­to whose hands thou hast committed the raines of these vni­ted [Page 247] Kingdomes. O Lorde, when we remember the dayes by-past, euen the dayes of our feare, how that after the death of our late renowned Queen, we looked for nothing but cō ­fusiō, supposing that the times of our peace must needs haue died with her, and haue euen beene buried in her graue, and consider withall, how thou then, without any so much as drawing of a sword, or colour of commotion, placedst in her throne a King of the same roy­all bloud, and of the same loue and affection to thy holy truth, vnder whose shadow, wee en­ioy all the accustomed com­forts of our ancient peace, we [Page 248] are like to them that dream, we are euen strokē with astonish­ment; so far haue all thinges gone beyond our hopes, & ex­ceeded our exspectations. O pardon our great vngrateful­nesse, that passe ouer thy mer­cies so superficially, and do so seldome and so slightly medi­tate vpon thy kindnesse. Let not our vnthankefulnesse turn away thy intended blessings from vs; stablish his throne (we beséech thée) let his soule be bound in the būdle of life with thee, & cast out the soule of his enemies, as out of the middle of a sling. As thou hast preuen­ted him with liberal blessings, and set a crowne of pure gold [Page 249] vpon his head: so let his glorie be great in thy saluation, and make him glad with the ioy of thy countenance. Go on to giue him thy iudgments, that the righteous may flourish in his dayes, and that hee may iudge the poore of the people, and saue the children of the née­dy, & subdue the oppressor: Let him not wāt a man of his own line, to sit vpon his seat: but continue y^e kingdom in his po­steritie, vntil the time in which al earthly kingdomes must be determined. And as thou hast made his Quéen, like a fruitful vine on y^e sides of his house, & a ioyful mother of many royall plāts: so we pray thée lay vpon [Page 250] her much dignitie and honor; & blesse thē both out of Zion, so that they may see the wealth of Ierusalem all their dayes. Let their children bee as chosen shafts in thy quiuer, make thē as the plants growing vp in their youth, and as the corner stones grauen after the simili­tude of a palace. Chiefely we beseech thee to poure out a large measure of thy blessings vpon the young Prince Hen­rie: enrich him with all prince­ly vertues; water him so with thy heauenly dew, that know­ledge of thy truth, zeale for thy glorie, loue to thy Church, perfite hatred of Popish Ido­latrie, may in him growe vp [Page 251] with his years, that so he may also in his appointed time be­come another Instrument vnder thee, for the further enlargement of thy Gospel, and the prosperitie and happinesse of these Realmes. Alwayes afford thy gratious presence to those honorable Lords of his Maiesties Councill: be [...] thou the President at their Table, direct their consultati­ons, sanctifie their policies, or­der their purposes, and guide all their courses to such con­clusions as may bee most for thy glorie, the honour of the King, the peace of the State, and the comfort of thy chosen. Blesse all the Iudges, Sages [Page 252] and Magistrates of the State, make thē as hiding places frō y^e wind, & as a refuge for y^e tem­pest for y^e oppressed; cause them euer to remember that they are thy Ministers for y^e peoples wealth, & that they execute not the iudgements of man but of the Lord; & that although thou hast honored them with thine own name, calling them gods, yet they shal die as men, & fall like others: that so iudgement may not be turned into gal, nor the fruite of righteousnes into wormewood, but y^e iustice may be executed truly & vprightly in y^e gates, & al things may be to y^e praise of them that do wel & to y^e punishment of those that are [Page 253] workers of iniquitie. Neither may we (O Lord) forget those whō y^u hast put in the seruice of thy church, to féed y^e flock which dependeth on them, to rule thē & to go in & out before them, & to labour in the worde and in do­ctrine. Thou (O Christ) art the chief shepheard & bishop of our soules, thou art the Lorde of the haruest, build vp (wee be­séech thée) the breaches of thy Church, make the righteous­nes thereof to breake foorth (yet more) as the light, & the saluation thereof as a burning lampe. Continue the standing and encrease the number of those seeing watchmen, whom thou hast placed vpon y^e walls [Page 254] of Ierusalem; stirre them vp that they cease not, day nor nor night, working the worke with which thou hast entru­sted them, and faithfully dis­pensing that word of reconci­liation which thou hast com­mitted to them. Kindle in thē the zeale of Samuel, that they may say, God forbid that we should sin against the Lorde, & cease praying for the peo­ple, and shewing them the good & the right way: Make them with Paul to say, Woe vnto vs if wee preach not the Gospell. And be pleased also so to blesse their endeuours, & to prosper their labours, by giuing them a doore of vtte­rance, [Page 255] and by preseruing them from vnreasonable and euill men, that they may from eue­ry part of the Land bring ma­ny sheaues into thy barne, and that dayly those that are ordai­ned vnto life eternall may be­lieue. And for a continuall sup­ply and nurserie to thy Chur­ches amongst vs, blesse the Vniuersities and Schooles of learning; let not those foun­taines (O Lord) bee poysoned with any popish leauen: but grant that the doctrine which is according to godlinesse, be­ing taught & professed in them in sinceritie, by the yong plāts there springing vp, y^e decais of congregations abroad may be [Page 256] renued, and euerie place may be furnished with a Pastor af­ter thy owne heart, which may féed y^e people with knowledge and with vnderstanding. And (Lorde) restraine and reforme the gréedinesse of those which muzzle their mouthes which should tread out the corne, and bring foorth the foode of life vnto thy people, which respect not the Leuite, but abridge the hire of the labourer, and say one to another, Let vs take to our po­ssessiō the habitatiōs of God. Throughout the Land and a­mong all the inhabitants ther­of, plant the true knowledge & feare of thee, loyalty to their so­ueraine, obedience to all subor­dinate [Page 257] authoritie, loue & reue­rence to their spiritual guides vnitie of affection, mercie and compassion either to other. And inasmuch as (O Lorde) wee haue continuall experience of the malice of the diuell, in sow­ing the séedes of sedition and treason in mens hearts, and in raysing vp the sonnes of Behal to ouercast (if it might be) the faire day of our peace, with a cloud of hellish cōfusiō; we pray thée, without whom no enter­prises canne bee established, to make voyd their hopes, to dis­couer their practises, and (as thou hast hitherto euen mira­culously done) to turne their deuises vpon their owne heads [Page 258] for their own confusion. There come dayly out of that Pit of Rome, many Locusts: and frō that Sea, there is sent among vs a continual spawne of new conspirators: these encourage themselues in wicked purpo­ses, they commune together to lay snares, mischiefe they ima­gine against the quiet of the Land; It vexeth them to sée the thriuing of the Gospell, and the grouth of thy truth, and they do euen breath out threatnings and slaughters against the pro­fessors thereof. Let not (O Lord) their imaginations pros­per, let their eyes fall out with looking for that day which they haue long desired; Let thy [Page 259] hand, euen thy right hand, find thē out: & if they belong not vn­to thée, make them like a fierie ouen in y^e time of thine anger, destroy their fruit from y^e earth and their séed frō the children of men, put them apart, and make ready y^e strings of thy bowe a­gainst their faces. And as for vs (O Lord) suffer vs not to were wanton with the blessings of peace, nor to forget to render to thée according to thy re­wardes bestowed: but grant that thy kindnesses may bind vs more strongly vnto thee, & that wee may resolue by thy grace to serue thee faithfully, who w^t vs dealst so graciously, & that in & for Christ Iesus sake thy son & our Sauiour, Amen.