THE PRISONERS PRAYERS. OR, An Heavenly help to DEVOTION.  
Composed by H. Greenwood, Preacher of the Word of God.  1 THESS. 5.17. 
Pray continually.  
LONDON Printed by I. H. for Henry Bell. 1628.   

To the most Illustrious and right Virtuous Princess, the Lady KATHERINE, Duchess of Buckingham her grace, all honour and grace in this life, and eternal glory in the life to come.  
RIght Gracious Lady, the counsel of the holy Apostle is, 
jam. 5.13.  That if any be afflicted let him pray: I have not only in my long and great afflictions in some measure herein delightfully obeyed, but also composed some few yet comfortable prayers for the benefit of the Church of God.  
Now considering with myself to whom I should commend the same, I thought upon your Grace, as most worthy of the Dedication, both in regard of your late and happy call from darkness to light, as also for your constant & conscionable maintenance of holy and wholesome prayers in your family, to the glory of the Almighty, and the daily supporting and refreshing of your own soul.  
Now that your Grace may grow and go on in grace, and in the saving knowledge of the Lord jesus, let me entreat you at your best leisure, to peruse this poor yet profitable present: the Lord give you grace to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ jesus made you free; 
Gal. 5.1.  and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.  
And as your Grace (by God's especial mercy) hath tasted of the true and heavenly refreshing, the Lord make you an happy and heavenly Instrument of the conversion of many great Ones among us, so shall you shine as a star in the firmament of salvation: Thus Andrew drew on Peter, and Philip Nathaniel: thus doing, greater shall your reward be in heaven.  
And because every thing is sanctified by the Word and Prayer, 
1 Tim. 4.5.  the Lord give you grace to reverence the one, and highly respect the other, that your soul may be preserved alive in the righteousness of Christ jesus, to life and glory everlasting: 
Psal. 45.10.  If you thus forget your father's house, then shall the heavenly King, and earthly too, take pleasure in your beauty.  
The Psalmist setting forth the glory of that famous jerusalem, speaketh thus, 
Psal. 87.3.  Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God: so (without flattery I aver it) good things are spoken of thee, O thou hopeful and happy Daughter of God.  
Great is the outward glory cast upon your Grace, I pray God with all my heart, that the commendation of the King's daughter may be yours, That you may be found also all glorious within. 
Psal. 45.13.   
Now the Lords best blessings evermore attend you, and the Lord prosper the person of your dearest friend, the most Noble and Illustrious DUKE, with grace and honour, and all his lawful attempts with good success and victory, for jesus Christ his sake. Amen.  
Your Grace's most humbly observant in the Lord jesus, H. Greenewood. From his Majesty's Prison of the Fleet, this 13 of Novemb. 1627.   

A Catalogue of the Prayers contained in this Book, with a note of the Pages where they may be found.  

A Prayer against sin and Satan in general. Page 1  
A prayer against the world's illusions. Page 5  
A Prayer against Pride. Page 7  
A Prayer against Envy Page 9  
A Prayer against Adultery. Page 12  
A Prayer against Covetousness. Page 15  
A Prayer against hardness of heart. Page 18  
A Prayer against Drunkenness. Page 21  
A prayer against Murder. Page 25  
A Prayer against Hypocrisy. Page 27  
A Prayer against Revenge. Page 31  
A Prayer against Theft. Page 35  
A Prayer against Swearing. Page 38  
A Prayer against Perjury. Page 41  
A Prayer against Security. Page 43  
A Prayer against Desperation. Page 46  
A Prayer against Heresy. Page 50  
A Prayer against Lying. Page 54  
A Prayer against Sabbath breaking. Page 56  
A Prayer against idle words. Page 60  
A Prayer against evil thoughts. Page 63  
A Prayer against disobedience to Parents. Page 67  
A Prayer against blasphemy against the holy Ghost. Page 69  
A Prayer against Presumption. Page 73  
A Prayer against the Plague. Page 77  
A Prayer against the Sword. Page 80  
A Prayer against Famine. Page 83  
A Prayer for grace in general. Page 87  
A Prayer for knowledge. Page 92  
A Prayer for Humiliation. Page 96  
A Prayer for Faith. Page 99  
A Prayer for obedience. Page 105  
A Prayer for Zeal. Page 109  
A Prayer for brotherly love. Page 112  
A Prayer for Humility. Page 116  
A Prayer for Patience. Page 120  
A Prayer for Innocency. Page 124  
A Prayer for mercy and compassion. Page 126  
A Prayer for peace of Conscience. Page 130  
A Prayer for joy in the Holy Ghost. Page 134  
A Prayer for increase of Grace. Page 138  
A Prayer for perseverance in Grace. Page 143  
A Prayer for preparation to the Sacrament. Page 147  
A Prayer for the Gospel's continuance. Page 153  
A Prayer for preparation to Death. Page 156  
A Prayer for a woman in Childbirth. Page 160  
A Prayer after Childbirth. Page 164  
A Prayer for the Traveller by land. Page 167  
A Prayer for the Traveller by sea. Page 170  
A Prayer for the Church. Page 174  
A Prayer for the conversion of the jew. Page 179  
A Morning Prayer for a family. Page 183  
An Evening Prayer for a Family. Page 188    

The Prisoners Prayers.  

A Prayer against sin and Satan in general.  
MOST blessed and glorious LORD GOD, I beseech thee of thine infinite mercies, be pitifully merciful unto me, poor, miserable and most corrupted sinner: O Lord, cast out sin and Satan, let a greater than Satan enter (even thine holy and good Spirit) and bind that enemy of thy glory, my salvation, that he may prevail no longer against me.  
Thus thou didst deal (O my gracious God) most mercifully with Mary Magdalene, 
●uk. 8.2.  casting seven Devils out of her: Good Father, I confess that seventy times seven do grieve my poor and pensive soul, for so many foul lusts, so many unclean Devils: Lord, in thy might and mercy, give me to prevail against them. What will sin afford me, but shame in this world, and confusion in the world to come?  
Lord therefore strengthen me against these corruptions and chiefest enemies of my soul: let me be as willing evermore to put a Toad into my mouth, as to suffer a sin to rest and reign in my soul. O that my ways were made so direct, that I might never sinne more. Lord hear my mournful prayers, and let these my cries come up unto thee, for jesus Christ's sake, thy Son, my Saviour.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against the world's illusions.  
MOst gracious and blessed heavenly Father, forasmuch as thou hast taught me, that I must use the world as not abusing it; and seeing also I find myself by nature too too prone and ready to set my delight on things below, and to give more affection to things seen, than things unseen: O Lord (who art the only sanctifier of thine elect) save me from immoderate love, and excessive delight of the same: grant that no worldly honour, pleasure, profit, may deceive me, but I beseech thee that thy lower blessings may be received of me with a lower love, and thine heavenly graces, thine eternal glories, with the greatest glory, and chiefest delight of my soul. Lord for thy Christ's sake hear me herein. Amen,  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Pride.  
MOst dear and gracious God, I most humbly entreat thee so to assist me with thy grace, that I may evermore take heed of that first and worst sin, the sin of the Devil, namely pride: O Lord grant I may never be puffed up in mind, nor have a scornful eye; for pride will have a fearful fall, and high-mindedness always goeth before destruction.  

Dan. 4.27, 28.  Nabuchadnezzar paid dearly for his vain and foolish vaunting: and that proud and boasting Pharisee went home condemned for his sin: 
Luk. 18.14.  O Lord, then give me power and strength against this wicked lust, this base and senseless sin: Let not (O God of all goodness) this evil appear in me, by mine apparel, speech, look, gate, or any other unseemly behaviour: for thou (O God) resistest the proud, and givest thy grace only to the humble: Humble me then (I pray thee) that I may in due time be everlastingly exalted of thee in the Lord JESUS.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Envy.  
O LORD GOD, whereas thou hast taught me by thy blessed Apostle, 
Rom. 12.15.  to rejoice with them that rejoice; I beseech thee save and defend me from that fearful sin of Envy, the sin of Satan, for he envied the standing power of Adam: the sin of Cain, 
Gen. 4.5.  who vexed his soul at thy graces apparent in Abel: O God, of thy goodness, save me from this sin and wickedness.  
Grant (most holy and heavenly Father) that I may abound in love towards my brethren, and bless thee as hearty for any mercy or blessing conferred upon others, as upon mine own soul: As one member rejoiceth in the glory and welfare of another, so grant that I may prove myself a true member of Christ jesus, in delighting in the prosperity of thy Saints and servants.  
Lord keep me from an hateful soul, and fulfil mine heart with love, to the glory of thy great name, and everlasting salvation of my poor soul, in the merits of the Lord jesus.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Adultery.  
MOst mighty▪ and most merciful Father, for as much as thou hast shown unto me from thy holy & heavenly word, that no unclean thing shall enter into thy Kingdom, and no adulterer shall inherit heaven, 
1 Cor. 6.9.  such shall only enter into thy glory as have not defiled themselues with women, as Saint john declareth in his Revelations: Good Father (I pray thee) purge my soul from all foul and fleshly lusts: my body is the Temple of thy holy Spirit, Lord let me never defile it: grant (Lord) that I may preserve and present it spotless to the coming of the Lord jesus: turn away mine eyes that I behold not vanity: 
Matth. 5.20.  If mine eye offend me, Lord grant that I may pull it out: better for me to go into that life with one eye, than to go with two eyes into the darkness and damnation of hell.  
Give me (O Lord) the help of thy grace, that I may conquer all beastly lusts, all  desires, all polluted and polluting actions, and be freed from them, for the honour of thy name, in the worthiness of the Lord jesus.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Covetousness.  
O Eternal & everliving Lord God, thou hast revealed unto me from thy blessed word, 
Psal. 10.3.  that thou abhorrest the covetous, and covetousness is so foul an evil, as it is called, Spiritual Idolatry: O LORD of thy mercy save my soul from this vile and earthly sin, give me to take heed and beware of Covetousness, for a man's life stands not in his wealth and abundance: that man in the Gospel was rightly termed a fool for resting on his goods, 
Luke 12.20.  & making them his God: O Lord, what greater folly can there be, than to leave thee the fountain of living waters, and to trust in vain and uncertain riches: for as the Psalmist tells me, 
Psal 49.7.  A man by his wealth cannot redeem his brother, so precious is the redemption of souls, and their continuance for ever.  
Therefore let my conversation (O Lord) be without covetousness, for thou hast promised, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. 
Heb. 13.5.  Lord raise mine heart from earthly mindedness, and let my chief delight be on heaven and heavenly things; give me this covetousness, namely to covet after spiritual things, and let all my delight be in thy statutes: that my life being holy and conversation heavenly, I may in the end obtain the kingdom of heaven, and life everlasting, through jesus Christ mine only Lord and Saviour.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against hardness of heart.  
O Lord my God, I most humbly beseech thee, in the Lord jesus, to frame my soul according to thy will, to bring mine heart to the obedience of thy holy and heavenly law in all things: mollify my stiff and stubborn heart, give me a teachable and tractable spirit, that I may evermore be guided by the motions of thy holy Spirit, and counsel of thy heavenly word into all goodness. Take away (good Father) the stoniness of my heart (for I feel much hardness in it) and give me an heart of flesh: 
Ezek. 36.26.  give me the spirit of good King JOSIAH, 
2 Chron. 34.27.  whose heart melted within him at the reading of thy Law: give me (O Lord) to tremble at my sins, to mourn at thy judgements, to be comforted by thy mercies in the merits of the LORD JESUS. Create in me (O Lord) a new heart, 
Psal. 51.10.  and renew a right spirit within me: turn me, and I shall be turned; convert me, and then shall my soul be converted unto thee.  
Thy mercies now I ask, Lord grant that I may have: thy sweet graces now I seek, grant (Lord) that I may find: at thy heavenly gates I knock, Lord open unto me the door of salvation, for jesus Christ his sake.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Drunkenness.  
MOst dear and gracious God, I thine unworthy servant, am bold upon the multitude of thy mercies to present myself before thee, earnestly craving pardon for my sins, and thy power and presence of grace, for the prevention of them in time to come.  
In particular (O Lord) I beseech thee, that I may be preserved from that swinish sin of drunkenness: fearful are thy woes denounced against the same; many other most damnable transgressions always wait upon the same; yea, a legion of devils attends the same, as swearing, adultery, quarrelling, and the like: Lord for thy mercy's sake, save me from excess: whether I eat or drink, or whatsoever I do else, let me do all to the glory of thy blessed name.  
And (good Father) give me to shun all occasions of this sin; especially, I pray thee, to preserve me from vain and  society, and let me frequent evermore the company of thy saints: temper mine affections, moderate mine unruly lust: give me always to consider, that no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of heaven: Also that unsober persons are unable to resist the devil, but he works his will and pleasure upon them: preserve me then (my God) from this common, capital, national evil: Lord give me a wise and moderate use of thy creatures: let them not be snares unto me, but refreshers of me; not destroyers, but supporters of me, to thy glory, and the eternal salvation of my poor soul in the Lord jesus.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against murder.  
Almighty and most merciful heavenly Father, I thy poor servant beg from thy throne of grace, grace & strength against all sins and transgressions whatsoever; especially, against those crying sins spoken of in thy word, such as will never leave roaring in thine ears, till thy judgements be thundered against the committers of them, one whereof is murder: a fearful and diabolical sin, for the devil was a murderer from the beginning: Lord save me from taking away the name or life of any man; grant I may not harbour malice in mine heart, 
1 john 3.15.  for he that hateth his brother in his heart, is a manslayer: give me to look upon thy judgements executed upon such malefactors as Cain, Ahab, others, that I may never offend in the same: Lord give me love, patience, meekness, that I may in the moderation of my passions and affections, preserve my soul from this grisly evil, for jesus Christ his sake.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Hypocrisy.  
O Most gracious & merciful God, thy holy word hath revealed unto me thy heavy vengeance against such as are dissemblers with thee, that deep is their portion in hell, therefore is it said, Give him his portion with hypocrites: O my God, I crave hereupon thy merciful assistance, that I may take heed of hypocrisy, that I may walk in uprightness with thee, that I may with Nathaniel, 
John 1.47.  be found a true Israelite, in whom is no guile: Lord grant in all good duties, I may seek thy glory, and pleasure of thy will, not mine own ends, or glory of mine own name.  
O Lord save me from pride, one main cause of this foul and foolish sin, and give me sincerity, for that man shall be advanced to thy holy hill, that speaketh the truth (without hypocrisy) and professeth it from the heart.  
Lord let not the marks of this Pharisaical evil be found in me, as pride, malicious censuring, and the like: O Lord, though my graces be small, yet let them be true, and then the gates of hell shall not prevail against me: to this end, I beseech thee, vouchsafe me a large and plentiful measure of humility, that so I may in uprightness serve thee in this life, and hereby be sealed up to thy glory everlasting in that blessed life to come, for jesus Christ his sake, my only Saviour and Redeemer.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Revenge.  
MOst loving and gracious GOD, thy holy word hath taught me, 
Rom. 12.19.  that vengeance is thine, thou wilt repay all offered wrongs whatsoever: whereupon I beseech thee, O Lord, in all abuses and oppressions, give me patience and meekness of spirit, 
Rom. 12.17.  that I may not render evil for evil, that I may not seek maliciously to revenge those that have done wrong and injury unto me: to do good for good, Publicans can do the same: to do evil for evil, that is an act of flesh and blood: to do evil for good, is egregious ungodliness: but to do good against evil, this is only proper to the righteous: when others curse, let me bless; let me pray when others persecute, as the first Martyr in the Gospel prayed for them that stoned him, 
A●●● ●. 6●.  and my blessed Saviour for those that mocked and killed him.  
It is not possible but offences will come, man is so vicious, so malicious; How often shall I then forgive? seven times? No Lord, more than so, seventy times seven: 
Matth. 18.34  he that would not forgive his brother the pence, his pounds, yea, talents were exacted from him to the uttermost farthing in prison: If I cannot hearty forgive my brother, how shall I look for forgiveness of sins at thy hands?  
Therefore (dear God) grant me thy grace to conquer malicious and revengeful thoughts, and possess me with the spirit of meekness and love, to my present peace, to mine everlasting salvation, in and through my Lord and Saviour jesus Christ.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Theft.  
O LORD and heavenly Father, whereas thine express commandment is, 
Exod. 20.15.  that I shall not steal, O Lord give me thy fear, that I may take heed that I oppress not my brother, by unjust and deceitful dealing, nor take away by violence that which is his, but as I would be done unto, so let me evermore do, for this is the Law and the Prophets: 
Matth. 7.12.  As I desire hearty thy grace to walk before thee in holiness, so also I beseech thee, give me in all things to carry myself to my neighbour in righteousness: without shall be dogs, murderers, thiefs, these wretched persons shall for evermore be expelled and excluded thy kingdom of glory: and who shall dwell in thy holy Hill? 
Psal. 15.3.  even he that hath not done evil to his neighbour, as in body and name, so in goods and estate.  
A little that the righteous hath, being well got, is better than great riches of the , gotten by fraud, violence, wrong: Give me to know that I must one day give an account of my stewardship, 
Luke 16.2.  how I have gotten my goods, as well as how I have spent them.  
Therefore I beseech thee give me thy fear and grace, to preserve my soul from these worldly and wicked errors here, and give me everlasting salvation when I die, in the Lord jesus that freely died for me.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Swearing.  
MOST Mighty, most glorious, and most merciful Lord God, great thou art in thy majesty, wondrous in thy power, who is able to resist thy wrath? O Lord evermore defend me from taking thy great and mighty name in vain, 
Exod. 20.7.  for thou wilt not hold him guiltless that taketh thy Name in vain: Heavy are thy judgements denounced against this sin: thy curse shall not departed from the house of the swearer: Therefore my good God, grant I may never be found culpable of this sin, but give me thy grace that I may serve thee in fear, & rejoice before thee in reverence all the days of my life: Lord let me never think or speak of thy great and holy Name, but with all fear, respect, reverence, trembling.  
Give me also thy fear and grace, that I may not endure thy Name to be dishonoured of others, but let it be a Simeons' Sword to pierce my soul, 
Luke 2.35.  and give me evermore to reprove and condemn it.  
Lord hear, help, and have mercy upon thy poor servant, here and in heaven.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Perjury.  
O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth, thou great judge of heaven and earth, to whom all secrets are known; I most humbly pray thee that thy fear & grace may so assist me, that I may never swerve from the truth of thy Law: thou hast charged me not to bear false witness against my neighbour, 
Exod. 20.16.  but to speak the truth impartially when I am thereunto called, for Lord thou knowest all secrets, though man cannot detect them: therefore keep me from false swearing, for as it is great wrong in judgement, so is it odious and abominable before thee, for thine infinite wisdom is dishonoured; and he that dishonoureth thee in this desperate, impudent, and damnable manner, thou wilt dishonour and condemn him for ever.  
Lord give me an honest heart and faithful soul, that in all things I may carry myself upright, as in thy great and mighty presence, now and for evermore.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Security.  
BLessed and ever-glorious LORD GOD, I pray thee most humbly and earnestly in Christ jesus, to keep me from that dangerous evil of security: many are the enemies of my soul, the devil goeth up and down, seeking whom he may devour: the world by his allurements seeketh to overturn my soul: carnal concupiscence, and inbred corruption takes all advantages to betray and overthrew me: I beseech thy Majesty (seeing my poor soul is thus dangerously assaulted) give me all diligence and care to keep my soul from sinning against thee: O give me the watch of thy Spirit of grace, to prevent these woeful enemies of my soul: 
Matth. 26.41.  let me ever watch and pray, and stand upon my guard, lest I fall into temptation: let me be less careful for the things of this life, & more careful for thy glory, and the eternal salvation of my soul: that I glorifying thy great Name constantly in this life, may in JESUS CHRIST be everlastingly glorified of thee in the life to come.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Desperation.  
O Lord my God most mighty and glorious, I most humbly entreat thee to assist me in all assaults of Satan: this enemy is strong, I poor sinner weak, I pray thee then help me against all his most desperate and dismal temptations: I confess my sins most odious, most damnable, yet upon my true humiliation, I am bold to rest upon thy renowned mercies for forgiveness of them; To whom wilt thou look (O blessed Lord God) but to him that is of a contrite heart, 
Esa. 66.2.  and trembleth at thy words: therefore in the confidence of this thy promise & mercy, give me resolution against all fears, and desperate harms of my soul: not to believe thy promise, who art truth itself, not to hope in thy performance, who art most faithful and just, it were to deny thy glorious Name, it were heavy and fearful sinning against thee: I have sinned (Lord thou knowest) to too much already, shall I now by despair add sin to sin? O Lord God forbidden it: though my sins be many, yet thy mercies are more; though they be as red as crimson, yet in the crimson Blood of Christ thy Son, 
Esa. 1.18.  thou canst make them all as white as snow or wool. O Lord my God, who art so full of mercy, as thou delightest not in the death of the greatest sinner, 
Ezek. 18.32.  but rather that he may convert and live, give me to break mine heart for sin, but not to despair of thy mercies for the forgiveness of my sins, for thou givest grace and salvation to the humble, and the Lord jesus came to call none but bleeding sinners to repentance: In hope of which thy truth and mercy, I make bold to rest upon thee (O Lord my God and Saviour) for present peace, for everlasting salvation. Amen.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Heresy.  
O LORD and heavenly Father, seeing there is but one truth, one faith, one way laid out for life, which is the Lord jesus, 
john 14.6.  for he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life: save me (O Lord) from all by-paths and errors, all false ways, 
Psal.  grant (with David thy servant) I may utterly abhor: especially I beseech thee, keep me that I drink not of the cup of fornication, which the Whore of Babylon holdeth in her hand, wherewith the greatest part of the world is deceived, poisoned, drunk: a cup pleasing to flesh and blood, 
Reuel. 17.4.  and therefore called, A golden Cup, yet within it is full of deadly poison and abomination.  
Lord grant I may not be misled in judgement, nor obstinate in defending errors against thy truth, but give me an humble heart, 
1 Cor. 14.32.  and let my spirit be evermore subject to the judgement of thy zealous Prophets: O Lord, give me to this end (with the Boroans) to examine all things, 
Acts.  and to confer Scripture with Scripture, that so I may never swerve from thy most pure, holy, and sacred Truth.  
And give me (my good Father) courage and magnanimity to defend and uphold thy glorious Gospel, against barking Papists, and cavilling Atheists, and all malicious opposers of the same, to the loss and laying down of my dearest life and blood.  
Thus grant me (gracious God) to stand for thy truth against all defacers of the same, to my life's end.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Lying.  
MOST dear and gracious heavenly father, who art truth itself, in whom no error nor falcity can abide or dwell, grant me (of thy goodness) that I may abhor that vain and vile evil of lying, let me evermore speak the truth with fear and care in a good conscience.  
The jesting lie is mere vanity; the officious lie, or lie for profit or advantage, is gross iniquity: the malicious lie, or lie to do hurt, is most pernicious and damnable impiety: Good Lord keep me from all these abominations, & give me to know, that thine infinite wisdom, and all-seeing knowledge is most grievously dishonoured herein: for (Lord) thou knowest all secrets, nothing hidden from thine all-seeing eye; though man may be deceived, yet thy Majesty can never be deceived: A lie than is most foolish, most odious; Lord keep me from this vanity, now and for evermore.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Sabbath-breaking.  
O Eternal GOD, Creator and governor of all things, seeing thou hast put a principal charge upon thy fourth commandment, 
Exod. 20.8.  Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day: O my God, grant me thy fear, thy grace, that that thy day may never be neglected of me: Lord grant I may spend it in prayer public, private, in hearing and reading of thy holy word, in instructing my family: Lord vouchsafe me so great a care, so heavenly a desire, as I may not therein speak mine own words, 
Esay 58.13.  nor think mine own thoughts, and that I may make the exercise of that day my joy, my soul's delight: No one shall enter thy Sabbath & rest of glory, but he that hath been strictly careful to keep thy Sabbath on earth: Grant I may deal with no worldly thing on this thy day, that I may go to thy Temple, and return to mine house, and make no other walk on this thy day, that I may not do or look upon any vain pastimes on this thy day.  
And (good Lord) stir up mine heart to bless thy Name, for so blessed and happy a day, wherein thine heavenly instructions are imparted to my soul: Did not this day shine in thine ordinance most graciously upon me, all the days of the week, yea all the days of my life would be dismal unto me: Lord continue this thine holy day to the coming of the Lord jesus in the clouds to judgement, for thy mercy's sake sweet LORD.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Idle words.  
MOst glorious and blessed heavenly Father, whereas thou hast shown unto me from thy heavenly Word, 
Matth. 12.36.  That of every idle word that men shall speak, account shall be given at the day of judgement: O GOD of thy great goodness and mercy, so possess me with thy power of grace, that I may always say with thy good and godly servant David, 
Psal. 39.1.  I will take heed unto my ways that I offend not in my tongue.  
Lord, if I speak, 
1 Pet. 4.11.  give me that I may speak, as thy holy word prescribes me, holily, profitably, to the glorification of thy great Name, the edification of the hearers, & consolation of mine own soul.  
Moderate (I beseech thee) the rudeness and rashness of my tongue; it is but a little member, 
james 3.5, 8.  but (Lord) I confess, a very hard thing for me to rule & tame: grant therefore I may set a watch overmore before the door of my lips, 
Psal. 41.3.  that no vanity may be uttered: the tongue (in the original) signifieth glory; Lord grant that I thereby may glorify thy great and godly name.  
O Lord, give me never to speak but holily, modestly, heavenly, that I may in the end for ever in heaven with the same my tongue sing a most joyful and glorious Halleluiah to thee (O blessed Lord God) and to the Lamb, the Lord jesus, for evermore.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against evil Thoughts.  
MY most holy and heavenly LORD GOD, I pray thee in and for the Lord jesus, to reform mine erroneous nature, and sanctify my most sinful and polluted soul: Lord cleanse my heart within, and then the outside shall be clean also: It is not (O Lord) that which goeth into man that defileth a man, 
Matth. 15.19.  but that which cometh out of man that defiles him; for out of the heart cometh murder, adultery, and other unclean evils: O my dear and blessed heavenly Father, purge the fountain, and the river shall be clean: purge mine heart from vain and evil thoughts and lusts, then shall my mouth praise thee, and mine actions be in some measure suitable to thy holy will: O Lord, 
P●ou. 4.23.  give me to keep mine heart with all diligence, for thereout cometh life: if I keep it not with all diligence, thereout will come death, that is, sin, whose wages is death. Give me (my blessed Saviour) to keep a narrow watch over my thoughts, that no wicked thought, profane lust, or  desire may nestle in my soul, 
Wisd. 1.9.  for inquisition shall be made for the very thoughts of the : Lord grant then that the thoughts of my heart may be always holy and heavenly, that so my soul being taken up with holy meditations, and heavenly contemplations here, I may be admitted to that most excellent glory of heaven, purchased in the blood of the LORD JESUS: to whom with thee and thine holy Spirit, my soul in her best thoughts desire to render all glory in all reverence now and for evermore.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against disobedience to Parents.  
O Almighty God, as thou hast promised long and happy life to those that honour their Father and Mother, 
Exod. 20.12.  so is it most certain, that disobedient children shall not escape thy fearful vindicts and judgements: for he that disobeyeth his father or mother, the Ravens of the valleys shall pick out his eyes, and devoured shall he be of the young Eagles. 
Prou. 30.17.   
O Lord, give me to consider, that I received from my Parents my being, my maintenance, mine education; how then shall I sufficiently express my duty unto them? better never been borne, than to contemn or neglect them by whom I had my being: O good God bless my parents, sanctify them, give them thy mercies in this life, thy salvation in the next, and me thy grace to do unto them all honour and help, while I live. Amen.   

A Prayer against blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.  
O Blessed and gracious God, thy mercy is to be mightily magnified, and everlastingly extolled, for thy compassion to humbled and penitent sinners, for there is mercy and salvation with thee that thou mayest be feared, 
Psal. 130.4.  and trusted to for life: yet notwithstanding, thou hast revealed thine irrevocable Sentence against one sin, and but one, that he that committeth it, shall never be pardoned, neither here nor at the day of judgement, 
Matth. 12.32.  and that is, blasphemy against the HOLY GHOST, a sin unto death, unto damnation, not to be pardoned, not to be prayed for: Lord give me thy grace, that I may carefully seek to know it, and more carefully seek to avoid it: when a man is enlightened to know thy truth, to profess thy truth, to give good allowance of it, to reverence & honour it, and then by the devil's strong temptations to fall off from the same, maliciously to oppose and persecute the same, and the professors of the same, to rail upon it, and disgracefully blaspheme it, the conscience notwithstanding all this while convincing him, this is that unpardonable sin, and it is impossible for this man to repent and be saved: Good Lord grant that I may never be thus overcome by Satan, grant (sweet jesus) I may take heed of the way of this fearful offence and sin: Lord give me grace that I may not be unreverent to thy Word, that I may not mock, but make much of sincere professors of the same, that evermore I may have a trembling respect to thy Majesty and ordinance, that so I may be graciously preserved from this fearful sin here, and the damnation of it hereafter in hell for evermore.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Presumption.  
O MOST blessed Lord God, I cannot while I live in this body of sin, be freed from sin and corruption, this world will afford me no perfection: therefore (good Father) seeing I cannot but sin, grant me this favour and compassion, that the sins which I daily do offend in, may be of infirmity, not of wilfulness, nor of maliciousness, nor against the light of conscience; especially (with thy servant David) I pray thee keep me from presumptuous sins, 
Psal. 19.13.  that they may not prevail over me.  
Gracious heavenly Father, let not me boldly offend thee, upon hope of mercy from thee, nor presume to sin upon expectation of thy pardon: what greater abuse of thy mercy than this can there be? 
Rom. 2.4.  thy mercy should lead me from my sins, unto repentance, not from repentance unto sin.  
Lord, with grief of heart I do mournfully confess before thee, that I have too too much presumed in bold and wilful sinning against thee, upon hope of pardon from thee: Lord humble me more and more for this my most dangerous sin and offence, and let it not be me, but sin in me, whensoever I sin against thee.  
LORD, above all things save me from an impudent and shameless soul, save me from sinning against thee with so high an hand, in so great a measure: that my chiefest care being to master sin in this life, it may be thy good will and pleasure to free me from damnation in the world to come, for jesus Christ his sake. Amen.   

A Prayer against the Plague.  
O Lord my God, most mighty and glorious, whereas thy gracious promise is, 
Psal. 91.4.7.  to save me from plague and pestilence, to hide me under thy wings, and to keep me safe under thy feathers, thousands shall fall on my right hand, and ten thousand on my left, and no plague shall come near my dwelling: Lord for thy mercy's sake save me from this wrath of thine, and evermore defend me.  
And (heavenly Father) I pray thee to this end purge my soul from the leprosy of sin, the cause of all thy judgements present and to come; this fearful affliction never cometh, but always some or other sin procuring it: four great and grievous plagues thou sentest against the house of Israel, four lamentable sins procuring the same, as bellicheare, 
Num. 11. Num. 16. Num. 25. 2 Sam. 24.  contempt of thy Ministers, fornicating, and putting confidence in the arm of flesh for victory: O Lord preserve me and this whole nation from these and all other transgressions, that so iniquity may never be our destruction.  
Thus (I most humbly beseech thee) save me from sins & judgements in this life & from everlasting damnation in the world to come, for jesus sake.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against the Sword.  
ALmighty and most merciful Father, great are thy judgements, and fearful thy punishments appointed for sinners, yea, for thine own people, if they sin against thee: though thou wilt in the Lord JESUS, spare them in thine everlasting love, from an everlasting damnation, yet if they be bold to sin, thou wilt lash them with a temporary correction: as thou didst threaten thine own people Israel, 
Ezek. 21.4.  that thou wouldst draw thy Sword, and cut off the righteous with the wicked: O Lord I beseech thee, save me from this fearful misery, let the sword of thy law pierce and humble me, that the sword of thy judgements may never overtake me.  
I bless thee (O Lord God) for peace in our borders, we have no howling in our gates, no complaining in our streets, 
Psal. 144.14.  no leading into captivity, no defiling of Temple and City, blessed are the people that are so, happy are they that have thee (O Lord) for their God.  
O Lord God, give me and the whole nation grace to repent with Nineve of all our sins, 
I●●. 3.10.  that so we may never be devoured by the sword, but in peace (if it be meet for thy glory, and the good of thy church) we may pass to peace and glory everlasting.  
Amen.   

A Prayer against Famine.  
O Most mighty and most glorious Lord God, I beseech thee save me from misery and destruction, which justly for my sins might come upon me: O Lord in particular, I pray thee for thy mercy's sake, preserve me from famine, and perishing by hunger, that rueful judgement, and of all deaths the most miserable under the Sun, for none like starving to death: Lord grant I may daily dye unto my sins, that for them I may never in this terrible judgement die: how heavy is it to my soul the remembrance of that distressed woman, 
2 Kings 6.28.  who in that famine of Samaria, complained to her King, That her neighbour shared with her in the eating of her child, but she could not again have part with her neighbour: a lamentable complaint, a distress most miserable; O Lord of thy goodness save me and this nation from the same.  
And as we would be spared from these thy dismal judgements, so (Lord) grant we may labour to be freed from our wicked and abominable transgressions: we have abused thy creatures unto vanity, and thy comfortable mercies unto riot and excess: it were just with thee to fulfil that heavy sentence upon us, He that hath not, it shall be taken away that which he hath; he that hath not to a good and holy use, it shall be taken away that which he hath.  
O Lord have mercy upon me, and deliver me from famine in this life, and destruction in the next to come, for jesus Christ his sake.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for grace in general.  
O Eternal GOD, and my most merciful heavenly Father, who art Author and finisher of my faith, from whom every good and perfect gift descendeth, I most humbly entreat thee to sanctify my soul with thy holy and heavenly grace, especially with those excellent gifts of thy holy Spirit, spoken of by thine holy Apostle Peter, proper only to thine elect and chosen: as faith, virtue, knowledge, patience, temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love: for if these things be in me, and abound, I shall never fall into the ditch of hell.  
Lord, let me not do mine own will, but give me always to be guided by the motions of thine holy Spirit into all truth: let it be my meat and drink, the obedience of thy word: grant I may find out that old and good way, 
jer. 6.16.  the way of thy fear and grace, that walking in it constantly and conscionably, I may find everlasting peace and rest to my soul: O Lord give me to loath sin, as the greatest enemy of my soul, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of thee (O my God) is eternal life, 
Rom. 6.23.  through my Lord and Saviour jesus Christ.  
If I be not borne twice, better it had been for me never to have been borne: except I repent, I perish: 
Luke 13.3.  Lord, who shall dwell in thy holy Tabernacle? even he that leadeth an incorrupt life, for no unclean thing shall enter into thy kingdom, unsanctified, unsaved: and without holiness I can never see thee, O God: therefore I beseech thine holy and heavenly majesty, to mortify sin in mine earthly members, and to renew me in soul and body: give me (O my God) a new mind, new will, new affections, new thoughts, new words, new ways, all new, for he that is a member of the Lord jesus, is thus become a new creature.  
O Lord, evermore delight my soul with holiness, and let thy fear preserve me always from evil: thus give me (I pray thee) to live purely in some good measure in this life, that I may have the surer hope of happiness in heaven, for blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see thee O God.  
Bless me then (good Father) with the blessing of sanctity in this life, and of everlasting felicity in the life to come, for the Lord jesus Christ his sake.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for Knowledge.  
MOst blessed and heavenly Father, I confess by nature I am a creature most miserable, so blinded and darkened by sin, as I know not what may make for thy glory, or the comfortable salvation of my poor soul: the darkness of Egypt was not so black, so palpable as the blindness and darkness of my soul: O Lord my God, my suit unto thee is with blind Bartimeus that I may receive my sight, 
Mark 10.51.  send me (Lord) some or other good Ananias to unscale mine eyes that I may judge and see the wonders of thy Law.  
Acquaint me (good Father) by thy Law, with my woeful sins, thy fearful curses due unto me for the same, that so I may be broken hearted for them, and made capable of remission and salvation: acquaint me also with thy promise made unto the humbled in jesus Christ for forgiveness, for thou givest grace to the humble: acquaint me also with the way of the regenerate, & affect my soul with holiness, that so I may come to salvation in the end: this is life eternal to know thee thus, and him whom thou hast sent even jesus Christ. 
john   
Make good unto me that thy gracious promise, 
Psal. 25.  thou wilt impart thy secrets to them that fear thee: Lord discover thy glory unto me, that I may answerably fear thy Name: reveal thy will (O Lord) most plentifully unto me, that I may strictly serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life, for jesus sake.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for Humiliation.  
MOst mighty and most glorious Lord God, seeing that thine holy Word hath taught me, that the Lord jesus came to save none but sinners, grieved sinners, wounded sinners, such sinners as would never sinne more: and moreover thou wilt look to none but to such as are of a contrite spirit, 
Esay 66.2.  and tremble at thy words: O Lord, 
Esay 66.2.  break mine heart for breaking thy commandments, and smite my soul for sinning against thee: grant I may be ashamed of the filthiness of my sins, grieve for offending so loving a God by them, and quake and tremble, lest thou shouldst condemn me in thy strict justice for them for evermore: if my sinful soul be not thus rend, thus tormented for my wicked sins in this life, I cannot escape at the day of judgement the damnation of hell: better ten thousand times to have my hell here, than hereafter: Lord therefore bruise my soul for all my vile transgressions, and fearful abominations.  
And leave me not (good Lord) I pray thee, in these my soul afflictions & affrightments, but when thou hast sufficiently corrected me, than (Lord) turn again and revive me, 
Psal.  say unto my soul thou art, thou wilt be my salvation: for thou hast made this gracious promise, that the laden shall be eased, and the wearied shall be refreshed: Lord hear then these my mournful prayers, and let these my groaning cries come up unto thee, for jesus Christ his sake.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for Faith.  
MOST dear and gracious God, I humbly beseech thee to cut me off from the stock of corruption and sin, and that by sound humbling, and to plant me (who art that heavenly husbandman) by the power of thy blessed Spirit, into that holy stock the Lord jesus, and that by effectual believing: Lord give me to live by faith, and not by flesh; by grace, and not by sin, for they that are in Christ jesus walk not after the flesh, 
Rom. 8.1.  but after the Spirit.  
Grant (gracious God) I may rest upon thee in thy Son Christ, for forgiveness of sin, and for life everlasting: grant upon this my deliverance I may live to the praise of thee my blessed Redeemer, in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life: grant (holy Father) I may not only by faith depend upon all thy promises for this life, and for heaven, but likewise by the same faith labour to walk in the obedience of all thy commandments.  
O Lord increase my faith, for my heart is full of doubting, thou (O Lord) art faithful and true, yea, truth itself, why should I then waver? My soul is weak through my remaining corruptions in obeying thy holy Word, Lord strengthen me: my heart is faint, and ready to sink under the least trial and affliction, Lord for thy mercies support and comfort me.  
Give me (my dear God) to believe beyond belief, when I feel not, to rest upon thee for comfort, as thy servant job 
job.  resolved, Lord if thou killest me yet will I put my trust in thee: Lord give me by faith, clearly to see my sins pardoned, my life reform, my soul reconciled with thee, and my name written in the book of heaven.  
Most loving Father, I pray thee grant me thy grace, that I may deny myself, that I may wholly rest upon Christ jesus, and follow his heavenly commandments for life: grant that my faith 
jam. 2.26.  may not be a dead faith, but a lively, walking, working faith: that is a dead and vain faith that moveth not in the obedience of thy most holy commandments: thus (I pray thee) guide me by thy good Spirit into all truth, that thy power of grace possessing me in this life, I may have the better hope of eternal salvation in the life to come, and that for the merits of the Lord jesus.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for Obedience.  
O Lord God most mighty, most glorious, I most humbly crave thy gracious and loving favour, that I may be enabled by strength and power received from thee, to walk in absolute obedience before thee: Lord let me not do my will, but thy will in all things: 
Luke 7.8.  as the Centurion said of his servants, He said to one, go, and he goeth; to another, come, and he cometh; to another, do this, and he doth it: Lord grant me the like obedience and tractability to thy will in all things.  

1 Sam. 15.22.  Lord give me to understand that obedience is better than sacrifice, yea, to obey is the best of all sacrifices: let me then obey thee in all thy commandments, and submit unto thee in all thy corrections: not my will, but thy will most willingly be yielded unto in all things, my Lord, my God.  
O Lord vouchsafe me sincerity in this my most bounden duty & service, that I may obey thee in one commandment as well as in another; let me with thy godly servant David, 
Psal. 119.  evermore have respect unto all thy commandments: O then that my ways were made so direct, that I may never sinne more, but in all things do thy righteous judgements: O let it be my meat and drink, the obedience of thy will: O that I could find out the old way, which is the good way, that walking constantly, and conscionably in the same, I may find everlasting rest and peace to my poor soul: Lord, thus sanctify me in this life with thy holy fear, that I may not fail of salvation in the world to come, for thy love in the Lord jesus.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for Zeal.  
MOst blessed and glorious heavenly Father, my heart is grieved and much perplexed within me, because I find my soul so dead, so cold in all good duties which thou hast appointed me to walk in. O Lord quicken me, and make me more zealous, more fervent for the praise and glory of thy great and heavenly Name: let (I pray thee) thy good pleasure be my chiefest glory, and the constant service of thee, the greatest delight of my soul.  
O Lord my God, grant I may never endure thy Name to be dishonoured, nor thy holy Law disgraced by myself or others, but so affect my soul with thy fear, care, love, that I may, evermore defend thee, and support the glory of thy Name: give me to bleed in heart, and melt in soul at the great and grievous evils of the time, let mine eyes gush out into rivers of water, because men keep not thy Law: 
Psal. 119.  let every evil beholden of me, be as a goad in my side, and as a thorn in mine eye: grant (good God) I may most strictly walk before thee, and so burn in zeal of thy law and glory, that thy service, and the obedience of thy will, may be more precious, more delightful unto me than the eternal salvation of my soul: Thus (Lord) inflame my soul with thy love, fear, grace, that so my part and portion may be with thy Saints and Angels in joy and glory everlasting, in and through my Lord and Saviour jesus Christ.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for brotherly love.  
O Almighty and most merciful Father, for as much as thou hast shown unto me, 
1 joh. 4.16.  that he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in thee, for thou art love, and by this shall all men know, that we are thy disciples, if we love one another; and again, If I cannot love him whom I see daily, how shall I persuade myself I love thee, 
1 joh. 4.20.  whom I never saw? good Lord I beseech thee then to fill my soul with love, and to abound me with charity and goodness toward my brethren: as the members of the body carry themselves one to another, so (I pray thee) give me grace to behave myself to my brethren, and fellow-members of the Lord jesus: one member despiseth not another, grant than I may not be puffed up: one member envieth not another, grant I may not grudge at the prosperity of my brethren: one member is helpful to another, grant (Lord) that I may do all the good I can unto others while I live: one member suffereth with another, grant that I may weep with them that weep: one member revengeth not another, Lord grant that I may bear offered wrongs & injuries, and never seek revenge.  
Thus (I beseech thee) possess me with thy Spirit of love, for it is the ground and mother of all goodness, yea, the fulfilling of thy whole Law, and without love I am as sounding brass, and as a tinkling Cymbal, I am nothing: 
1 Cor. 13.1.  Thus give me to resemble thy Majesty in love and kindness in this life, that I may be admitted to that place of happiness, where love shall never vanish away, and that for thy love in the Lord jesus, my most loving Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.   

A Prayer for humility.  
MOst holy and heavenly Lord God, for as much as thou hast revealed unto me from thy holy Word, That thou resistest the proud, 
1 Pet. 5.5.  & givest grace to the humble, and none but the humble shall be exalted: O Lord my God, endue me with the spirit of humility, grant I may be far from vain thoughts and proud looks, give me to learn of my blessed Saviour jesus Christ to be humble and meek, so shall I find rest to my soul: the humbled Publican went home exalted, but the proud Pharisee condemned.  
O Lord my God, I cannot but confess, that I have deserved shame and confusion for my sins done against thee, yea, the best of mine actions are so corrupted, as I deserve no less than damnation for them, yea, when I have done all that I can I am an unprofitable servant: what cause (holy Father) then have I to boast myself before thee? If any good I do, it is not I, but thy Spirit in me, for what have I that I have not received? Give me then to be glad of thy gifts of grace, but not proud: 
Act. 12.23.  Not unto me (O Lord) not unto me, but unto thy Name, grant I may evermore give the praise, lest for mine arrogance I be smitten as was Herod, and the worms, and thy wrath consume me.  
Lord possess me with meekness and lowliness here, that my portion may be with thy Saints in glory everlasting hereafter, for thy Christ's sake.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for Patience.  
MOST loving and gracious GOD, seeing I am compassed about with so many miseries, some from thy Majesty as corrections, some from Satan as temptations, some from wicked men as persecutions, & some from concupiscence as treacherous seductions: I beseech thee therefore give me patience in this sinful and sorrowful world, let me possess my soul with patience, 
Heb. 12.1.  and run the race that is set before me with comfort and patience. Thus the Lord jesus possessed himself in patience, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, but prayed for his persecutors, and in his dying afflictions opened not his mouth: thus thy servants went quietly and gently thorough their sharp afflictions, as job, Steven, 
Act. 7.60.  and others: Lord grant I may gently and meekly go thorough whatsoever tribulation for the kingdom of heaven sake.  
Grant I may not repine or murmur under the cross, whether it be want, or imprisonment, or sickness, or banishment, or death of friends, or any other affliction: 
Heb. 12.6.  for whom thou lovest, thou wilt chasten, and it is good for me to be in trouble, for thereby I learn better to keep thy Law: and as grace is the way of life, so is cross the companion of this way, all that will live godly in Christ jesus, must suffer persecution: I must be contented to suffer with Christ, and for Christ on earth, if ever I would reign with Christ in heaven.  
Thus submitting my soul to thy will & pleasure in this life, I shall have the surer hope of admssion to life and salvation when I dye, in the merits of the Lord jesus, thy Son my Saviour.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for Innocency.  
O Eternal and everliving LORD GOD, seeing I must one day rise to give an account for all things done in my body, I most humbly beseech thee therefore, to give me grace to endeavour with thine holy Apostle Paul, always to keep a clear conscience, both toward thee and man: Lord give me to be innocent from all manner of offence, innocent to thee, innocent to man: 
Psal. 37.38.  O that I could keep innocency, and do the thing that is right, this would bring me peace at the last.  
Lord grant I may wrong no man, neither in body, goods, nor name: grant I may say with Samuel, 
1 Sam. 12.3.  whose Ox have I bribed? whose Ass have I taken? whom have I done wrong to? give me to do good to all, hurt to none: give me to be wise as the Serpent, but innocent as the Dove: that living harmlessly in this world, I may live happily in the next, for the merits sake of the Lord jesus.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for mercy and compassion.  
O Lord my GOD most mighty and glorious, seeing thou hast commanded me to weep with them that weep, 
Rom. 12.15.  and being also the godly practice of my Saviour, for he wept over jerusalem, and lamented their destruction: grant (good Lord) I may compassionate the present miseries of thy Church abroad, that my heart may melt within me to see thy vine thus stroyed, and thy Church thus trodden down by the enemies of thy truth: O Lord, 
Psal. 80.14.  betimes look down from heaven and visit this vine, though thou sufferest it to be pruned, Lord let it never be extinguished.  
I further entreat thee (O my God) that I may not only mourn over the afflictions of my brethren, but likewise be pricked in heart at the falls and sins of thy people: and let not this my pity be in word and show alone, but in deed and in truth, to pull them out of their impiety, and secure them in their adversity, to cover the naked, to feed the hungry, to visit the sick and imprisoned, 
Matth. 25.  to comfort and relieve them: if this pity dwelleth not in me, no piety can possess me: Lord grant I may be thus merciful as thou (my heavenly Father) art merciful: give me with thy holy Apostle to cry out, Who is afflicted, and I mourn not? Keep me from mercilessness, O Lord of thy goodness, for judgement shall be ministered without mercy, 
jam. 2.13.  to him that hath showed no mercy: Thus I pray thee vouchsafe me a tender heart for thy glory, the good of the afflicted, and the eternal salvation of my poor soul, in the merits of the Lord jesus.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for peace of Conscience.  
O Almighty and most merciful God, I beseech thee to remove from my soul all desperate fears, all vile corruptions, and give me that great and heavenly blessing, namely, 
Prou.  The peace of Conscience which passeth all understanding, which is a most comfortable and continual feast.  
And seeing this peace of conscience ariseth from thy reconcilement, remission of sins, and assurance of life everlasting: good Lord, I pray thee, be at peace with me through the Lord jesus, let all my sins in the bloody passions of thy Son be discharged, and let my name be found written in the Book of life.  
And give me further (I beseech thee good Father) to preserve this peace of conscience, and that by avoiding all, but especially known sins, by doing every duty uprightly, though not perfectly, and by renewing my humiliation & repentance more throughly: Lord grant I may not sin against the light of conscience, that I may never defile and wound my conscience by wilful offending, that faith and holiness may dwell therein, O help me (good Lord) 
Act. 4.16.  thus to keep a clear conscience both toward thee and man: Save me (my God) from a benumbed conscience, a desperate conscience, an erroneous conscience, a polluted conscience, and give me a pure conscience, a peaceable conscience, a good conscience, that this may minister comfort unto me in the greatest afflictions, strongest temptations, at the hour of death, at the day of judgement, and be a sure seal to my soul of life and salvation everlasting, in the merits of the Lord jesus.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for joy in the holy Ghost.  
MOST dear and gracious GOD, for as much as thy divine consolation is a sure mark and evidence of thy love for life, for thy blessed Apostle affirmeth, 
Rom. 14.17.  that thy kingdom standeth in righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost: Lord of thy goodness, fill mine heart with this thy heavenly joy, let it not be hidden unto me as it is unto those that are lost, but (I pray thee) shed abroad this thy love in mine heart: this sweet and heavenly joy is thine own wine, laid up in thine own seller, for thine own spouse, the wicked of the world shall never taste thereof.  
This joy the wise men found when they found the Lord jesus, 
Matth. 2.10.  for they rejoiced with an exceeding great joy: This joy was in the blessed Virgin, 
Luke 1.47.  for her spirit rejoiced in Christ her Saviour: So (good Lord) distil some saving drops of this water of life into my thirsting soul: Lord show me this thy glory: 
Psal. 4 6.  some crave worldly goods, and riches do embrace, but Lord grant me thy countenance, thy favour and thy grace; for thou thereby shalt make my heart more joyful and more glad, than they that of their corn and wine full great increase have had.  
O Lord, to this end, increase my faith, inflame my zeal, better my obedience, mortify my corruptions, sanctify my affections, that so I may evermore rejoice under the hope of salvation, in the LORD JESUS, yea, here and in heaven for ever.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for increase of Grace.  
MOst blessed and heavenly Father, I read in thy holy word That thy Kingdom is like a grain of Mustard seed, 
Luk. 13.19.  a little seed, yet in time it sendeth forth a mighty stalk, that the birds of the air may nestle therein, thy Majesty intimating thereby the smallness of Grace at the first, and the great increase by degrees in the hearts of thy children at last: now (good Father) I pray thee, increase thy graces in me; for I may say with that poor believer in the Gospel, Lord I believe, but help mine unbelief: Lord give me to increase in faith, in knowledge, in obedience, in all goodness, that so I going on from strength to strength, may in the end enjoy thy face in Zion.  
That tree that groweth not, is dead; if I grow not better and better, and bring not forth more fruit in mine old age, I cannot prove myself an imp of the Lord jesus.  
And as it fareth with the natural birth, so doth it also with the spiritual, a child new born is weak and small, yet in time it groweth to be a tall and strong man; so the soul at first is weak and feeble in grace, as smoke to fire, as a bruised reed to a sturdy oak of Lebanon, but in time the convert groweth to be a perfect man in the Lord jesus: therefore my gracious GOD, grant I may (as a new borne babe) 
1 Pet. 2.2.  desire the sincere milk of the word, that I may grow thereby: I confess with a heavy heart (O Lord) that I grow but poorly in the power and might of grace, Lord quicken me, Lord abound thy graces in me: 
joh. 6.12.  thou that madest bread grow, double thy graces in me: as that oil increased, 
2 King. 4.6.  Lord increase the oil of thy graces within me: 
joh. 2.7.  as those water pots were filled, so fill my soul with thy goodness, even up to the brim, and let my cup run over with thine ever-flowing mercies, that hereby I may be made more able to serve thee in holiness, and also more assured of everlasting happiness in Christ jesus, to whom thou gavest the Spirit without measure, to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit be all glory returned, now and for evermore.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for perseverance in Grace.  
MY most dear & gracious GOD, many are the troubles of the righteous; and those that truly profess thy fear & Name, have man and devil against them, for Cain will hate Abel for good, and Ishmael mock Isaac for God; thus they persecuted the Lord jesus, and the Prophets: O Lord, hereupon I pray thee give me magnanimity and courage, that nothing may draw me from thy law, thy love, thy fear: grant I may hold the faith to the death, 
Reuel. 2.10.  that so I may have a crown of life, for he that endureth to the end, 
Matth. 10.22.  the same shall be saved; but revolters, and backsliders shall go under the earth, and great shall be their torment in hell.  
Give me to look upon the constancy and courage of thy holy Martyrs, who went as cheerfully to the flame, as to a delicate feast: my blessed Saviour suffered ten thousand times more for me than I can do for him, therefore grant that I may lose my life, rather than thy love, for he that will save his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for thy Names sake, shall everlastingly save it: Come then torment, come torture, come what will come, come & welcome, nothing shall separate me from my Lord jesus.  
O Lord, give me to this end to be sincere in thy service, to be increased in thy graces, to be inflamed with the love of thy Law, and zeal of thy glory, to consider the disgrace that is done to thy truth by revolting, and the danger of back-sliding, and the incomparable glory laid up in heaven for those that defend thy faith with their dearest blood, that so I may never be daunted at whatsoever torment, but pass courageously and cheerfully through the same to life and glory everlasting in the might and merit of the Lord jesus, thy Son my Saviour.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for preparation to the Sacrament.  
O Almighty and most gracious Lord God, great is thy mercy and rare is thy love to mortal and miserable man, in that thou hast not only given him thy Word to beget faith, but also the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord jesus, to seal him to life and salvation: good Lord I pray thee so address my soul, and prepare my heart, that I may receive the same thy holy and heavenly ordinance to my comfort, not condemnation, 
1 Cor. 11.29.  for whosoever eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth & drinketh his own condemnation: therefore (holy Father) grant I may never come to this thy holy table without the wedding garment, without holy and due preparation: prepare then (dear God) my heart hereunto, especially in these six and several Graces;  
First, I beseech thee grant that I may come with knowledge; knowledge of myself, knowledge of my blessed Saviour jesus, knowledge of this most reverend ordinance, and of the holy use of the same, that I may graciously and wisely distinguish that bread Sacramental, from bread at home, it prefiguring the Lord jesus, that Bread of my soul that came from heaven.  
Secondly, grant I may come with humiliation of soul, for the Lords break heal none but the broken heart, & contrite soul: If I cannot roar for my sins that killed the Lord jesus, the roar of the Lord jesus cannot ease me.  
Again, prepare me by faith to rest upon thy Son for mercy and forgiveness: If my heart be thus humbled for sin, what shall hinder me to believe? for thy grace in Christ jesus is given only to the humble; therefore grant as my mouth eateth the bread, my soul by faith answerably may be comforted by the merits of Christ jesus.  
Fourthly, I beseech thee to give me sound repentance, to die to sin, to live to my blessed Redeemer, in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life.  
Fiftly, give me a thankful heart to thy sweet Majesty for the redemption of my poor soul, in the merits of thy Son.  
Lastly, give me love to my brethren, as thou hast pardoned my sins, so give me thy grace, that I may freely and hearty pardon those that have offended me, and wish the holy Sacrament as effectual unto them as mine own soul: Lord grant unto me all these my requests for the honour of thy great name in the worthy merits of the Lord jesus. Amen.   

A Prayer for the Gospel's continuance.  
MOst holy & heavenly Lord God, of all thy mercies vouchsafed to thy Church on earth, none like that of thy word, therefore it is said by thine Apostle, showing the prerogative of the jew above the Gentile, that to them were committed the oracles 
Rom. 3.2.  of God, as though thy Law was the principal of thy blessings, their preferments: I pray thee then (good Father) continue thy Word & Sacraments unto us of this nation, and our posterities after us, till jesus come in the clouds to judgement.  
To this end Lord give us that we may walk in the light, while the light thus clearly shineth unto us, 
Reuel. 2.5.  lest for our contempt and profaneness thy candlestick be removed from us: whatsoever judgement thou wilt please to afflict thy Church withal, Lord save us from the famine of thy Word: the famine of bread brings but a bodily death, but that of thy Word brings perpetual destruction to body and soul.  
O Lord also continue good and faithful Pastors & Teachers of thy Flock: grant a bright shining Lamp to every candlestick, and an able instructor to every Congregation, that many hereby may be drawn from darkness to light, from the power of sin and Satan, to the knowledge and salvation of thee, O God, for thy mercy's sake in the Lord jesus.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for preparation to Death.  
O Lord God most mighty and glorious, seeing I am of a mortal condition, and the time of my death uncertain, and as I am found in death, so shall I be in judgement, if in sin impenitent, condemned then for ever; if vigilant in godliness, then embraced to heavenly salvation: Good Lord grant I may prepare for this day, and so live here, as I may live with thee in heaven for ever: 
1 Cor. 15.56.  Death is a Scorpion, and the sting of this Scorpion is sin: now if the sting of a scorpion be pulled out, it can do no harm, therefore give me the wisdom of thy Spirit, that I may pull out the sting of death, which is sin, than death shall not affright me: for as death to the wicked is dismal, and packeth to hell, so to the godly it is amiable, and passeth their souls to heaven: grant then (dear God) that death may be to me as to all thy Saints & servants, the gate to life, the end of sinning and sorrowing, and the passage of my poor soul to life and glory everlasting.  
O Lord grant I may ever have death in mine eye, that I may evermore desire it, abhor it never: that I may never do any one act but that I durst do if I were now dying, and called to thy strict tribunal to give an account for it in my person: thus grant me grace to live in thy fear, and dye in thy favour, and obtain that blessedness spoken of in the Revelations, 
Reuel. 14.13.  Blessed are they that die in the Lord: thus prepare me for the first death, and save me from the second, in the merits of the Lord jesus.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for a woman in Childbirth.  
MY most loving & gracious God, thy power is mighty, and thy goodness answerable, to them that fear thee: thou art so potent as thou canst do more than ever thou wilt do, from fear and danger thou canst and wilt deliver all those that put their trust in thy mercy: thus thou savedst Sydrach from the fire, 
Dan. 3.27.  and didst divide the Sea to save the house of jacob from the host of Pharaoh: 
Exod. 14.28.  Lord I beseech thee, save me from my present danger of Childbearing, and bring me safely through my present strait and misery: thou (O Lord) that canst make hard things easy, show now thy might and mercy upon me: 
Matth. 19.26.  that which is impossible with man, is easy with thee to be accomplished.  
I confess (O my God) that the woman was first in the transgression, and therefore this was her judgement, that in sorrow should she bring forth, yet notwithstanding even through childbearing she (being truly humbled for her sin) shall be saved, 
1 Tim. 2.15.  if she continue in faith with holiness.  
Give me (O Lord) to rest comfortably upon thee for deliverance: Lord grant I may cleave unto thee in the extremity of my pains: If I perish, Lord, I will perish in thy bosom: Lord, moderate my torments, remember Lord I am but dust, unable to bear thy heavy displeasure for my sin: lay no more upon me than thou wilt enable me comfortably to bear: thus (good Lord) bless me in my soul, in my body, in the fruit of my womb, for jesus Christ's sake.  
Amen.   

A Prayer after Childbirth.  
MY most dear & gracious God, whereas thou hast commanded me to call upon thee in the day of trouble, and upon deliverance to glorify thy Name: O Lord, according to my bounden duty, from the bottom of my heart, I desire to magnify thy Name, for that thou hast thus graciously preserved me from pain and peril of Childbirth: let me never (O Lord) forget this thine unspeakable goodness and mercy, but let it lead me into all obedience: as I live yet by thee, give me grace to live unto thee, and the praise of thy great Name.  
I thank thee also (gracious God) for that thou hast made me a joyful mother of children: good Lord grant I may labour to bring them up in thy holy fear, that as I am an instrument of their generation, which is sinful and damnable, so make me an happy instrument of their regeneration, without which neither I nor they can ever see thy Kingdom, O God.  
And good Lord, I pray thee, grant that I may also submit unto my husband in all due obedience, according to thy will: that I may be a comfort unto him, living faithfully, lovingly, chastely, and godlily with him, till death us departed, that so thy blessing may be upon him, myself, my children, and family, from this time forth for evermore.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for the Traveller by land.  
ALmighty GOD, by whose providence all things are directed, supported and preserved, I pray thee bless me in mine out-goings, and incommings, make (I pray thee) this my journey prosperous unto me, keep me from sinning and bad society, and that by the watch of grace, keep me also from all outward perils, from peril of thiefs, peril by beasts, peril by lightning, 
Psal. 91.12.  and from dashing my foot at any time against a stone, and that by the watch of thy holy and heavenly Angels.  
And (good Father) as thou didst go with jacob, and defend him in his long & perilous voyage to Laban, 
Cen. 35.3.  and didst bring him safely back again: so I pray thee preserve me in this my journey from all dangers bodily and ghostly, and bring me safe home again to my friends and family, for jesus Christ his sake.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for the traveller by Sea.  
O Most merciful & gracious heavenly Father, I beseech thee in this my dangerous voyage by Sea, to prosper & defend me: Lord make it profitable and advantageable unto me: to this end I pray thee, direct my course with safety, and give me favourable and convenient winds: defend me from raging tempests, that they may not overturn me: save me from all dangerous rocks and sands, that they may not despoil me: keep me safe also from piratical and tyrannous enemies, that they may never prevail against me.  
To this end Lord give me and my whole company, to be constant and instant in prayer with thee, to spend our hours in hearing and reading thy holy and heavenly Word, to fly and shun all evil: and when I come to the haven where I would be, Lord give me to praise thee for my safe arrival: and save me from the sins of the place and people whither I go: and let me not be corrupted or perverted by them, but grant by my good counsel and holy conversation, I may labour the conversion of them: which mercy if thy Majesty shall vouchsafe to grant, I shall more rejoice in heart than if I had won the whole world.  
And good Lord, I pray thee, give me a safe and timely return with credit, profit, comfort, that so I tasting of thy mercies in this life, I may not fail of salvation when I die, and that for jesus Christ's sake.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for the Church.  
O Most glorious & merciful Lord God, I pray thee for thy mercy's sake behold from heaven thy Church and people: honour them Lord that honour thee, and confound them that rise up against thee: great is our present misery, the earth and world throughout, good Lord save thy servants from the hands of all their enemies: thy Church is every where despised and despighted, and trodden under foot of the wicked of the world, O Lord, sleep not, but arise in thy power, and let all thine and our foes be scattered.  
Give (O Lord) thy Gospel a free passage, for the enlargement of thy kingdom, all the world thorough, in despite of Turk and Pope, & all malignant enemies of the same: continue it where it is; where it is not, Lord (of thy goodness) plant thy heavenly power: though we have failed and grievously offended, yet correct us thou in thy mercy, and give us not over a prey unto their teeth, whose tender mercies are cruel: down with Dagon, and set up the glorious Gospel of Christ jesus among the sons of men.  
Now (O Lord) thy Church is heavily assaulted, I beseech thee fight out all our battles, and evermore defend us: let them not say, There, there, so would we have it; neither let them say, We have devoured them: let them not mock and vaunt, Where is now their God? they cry maliciously, Down with them, 
Psal. 137.7.  down with them even to the ground; but Lord, better than thy Church should be extinguished, the whole army of Satan to be confounded: If it may be, Lord convert the enemies of thy Church; if that cannot be, Lord confound them. Thus (Lord) I pray thee powerfully protect, and graciously direct thy Church on earth, and make it one day triumphant in heaven, for jesus sake alone, in whom thou art well pleased.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for the conversion of the jew.  
MOst gracious and blessed heavenly Father, there was a time wherein thou in thy mercy didst vouchsafe thy Law to Israel, all other nations of the world deprived of the same: and now is the time wherein they for their contempt of thy Son jesus Christ are deprived of thy Gospel, and the Gentiles of the world enlightened with the same: and there will come a time wherein jew and Gentile shall be of one fold and faith, and that is, when the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled.  
O Lord, pity the fall of thy first chosen, and let not thine anger be ever against them: turn again (O God of Abraham, Isaac, and jacob) and visit them with thy salvation, that are now scattered, and a despised people over the face of the whole earth: O Lord convert them, and bring them to the faith of the Lord jesus: dispel the mist of ignorance from their eyes, and let not such multitudes go to perdition: for Abraham thy servant's sake, look upon the desolate progeny.  
And seeing contempt and unbelief cast them off, 
Rom. 11.2.  Lord give us to believe & obey thy truth, left we also be cast out and expelled: if thou sparedst not the natural Olive, how wilt thou spare the wild branch?  
Lord grant that jew and Gentile may all the world thorough oyne in one faith and truth to thy glory and the salvation of innumerable souls in the LORD JESUS.  
Amen.   

A Morning Prayer for a family.  
O Lord our GOD most mighty, glorious, and in mercy abundantly gracious, we thy servants desire this morning and evermore to bless thy holy and heavenly Name, for all thy blessed mercies first and last afforded us in the Lord jesus: In particular, we bless thee for thy safe protection and providence over us this last night past, in keeping us alive of thy goodness and mercy to this hour, & day: O Lord, as we live by thee, give us all thy grace to live unto thee, and to the praise of thy blessed Name.  
And we entreat thy Majesty to bless us this day, and evermore to come: Lord save us from bodily perils, and that by the watch of thy good Angels: save us especially (O Lord) from sinning against thee, and that by the Power and residence of grace in our souls: thus bless us in body and soul in this life, that so we may have the surer hope of everlasting salvation in the life to come.  
And (good Father) grant that we may labour and strive against all corruption and sin, but most especially against those evils that have most defiled our souls, let us fly all occasions of them, and use all holy helps against them, and in the might and strength of thine all— sufficient grace, vouchsafe us daily victory over them: O that we could say with thy feruant Paul, I thank my God, 
1 Cor. 15.  concerning sin I die daily.  
And (good Lord) so bless us with thy grace, that we may cheerfully and constantly go on in the performance of all such duties as thou hast appointed for us to walk in: grant that the concupiscence of the eye, 
1 joh. 2.16.  the concupiscence of the flesh, the pride of life may never corrupt and defile us, but let evermore our conversations be holy and heavenly: keep us also from idleness, grant we may be always sound exercised in the duties of our calling, either general or particular: that when our Lord and Master cometh (being found thus vigilant) we may enter with him into the joy of the Lord.  
Thus (gracious God) give us to walk in holiness and uprightness before thee, that so we may both save our own souls, and those that are about us, for jesus Christ his sake, thy Son our Saviour.  
Amen.   

An Evening Prayer for a Family.  
MOST dear and gracious Lord God, we thy humble servants most earnestly desire thy mercy and compassion upon us, in pardoning all our sins, original, actual, and in giving us grace for the prevention of them in time to come: and so sanctify every of us, that all our ends may be peace.  
O Lord, to this end give us (we pray thee) to be broken in heart for breaking thy commandments, & smite our sinful souls for offending thee, that so we may come within compass of healing and refreshing: for none but the laden can be eased, and the wearied only shall be refreshed.  
And (good Father) seeing thou hast promised salvation to the humble, grant that by faith we may comfortably rest upon thy promise for mercy and forgiveness, and also by power of the same faith, live unto the praise of thee (our Redeemer) for evermore.  
Vouchsafe (O Lord) unto us all those blessed graces of thy blessed Spirit, only proper to thine elect and chosen, as knowledge, virtue, faith, patience, temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love: if these things be in us and abound, we shall never fall into the ditch of hell.  
Lord turn out sin and Satan, for we confess that we are out of measure sinful: sinful by thought, sinful by word, sinful by work, Lord be merciful unto us thus miserable sinners: and (good Lord) let thine holy Spirit make his residence in us, that in this new righteousness we shall labour and learn to do, in that we may save all our poor souls everlastingly alive.  
O Lord, bless with us thy Church universal, Lord save it from overthrow, and deliver it from the present calamity: more especially we beseech thy mercies upon this nation whereof we are members: this sinful nation laden with transgression, iniquity, sin; Lord heal the sores of it, pardon the sins of it, give it the repentance of Nineve, from the King's person, to the beggar amongst us, that so thy judgements may be diverted from us.  
Lord herein (we pray thee) bless the principal Member over us, CHARLES by thy good providence, King of great Britain, France, and Ireland, give him a long and lasting life on earth, and an everlasting in heaven: bless our most noble and gracious Queen: the Prince and Princess Palatine, and their Princely Issue: bless all the true hearted Nobility, all the reverend Clergy, the civil Magistracy, Gentry, Commonalty, all Schools of learning, the two Universities, all afflicted persons, bodily or soulely tormented: O Lord, deliver Israel from all their sins and sorrows.  
And good LORD, bless all that are dear and near in nature unto us, as father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, child; LORD giue us all thy grace in this life, thy salvation for ever in heaven.  
And for ourselves again, we beseech thee this night to bless us, in body, in soul; in basket and store, within doors, without: Lord save us from thiefs, from winds, from fire, from all dangers, and give us a sweet rest and comfortable sleep: and for our souls, save them (good Lord) from sinful lusts and Satan's assaults: that so we being preserved from sin and danger in this life, we may not fail of thy merciful salvation in the end, and that for jesus Christ his sake.  
Amen.   
FINIS.