Certain Devout PRAYERS OF Mr. BOLTON upon solemn occasions. Published by E.B. by M. Boltons' own Copy. LONDON, Printed by George Miller dwelling in Blackfriars. 1638. To the Reader. AMong Treatises fit to be published and read, Treatises of Devotion are most fit: as being freest from offence, and fullest of divine matter. If comparison may be made betwixt parts of sacred Scripture, the Psalms of David have an excellency in that they consist of matters of Devotion. Answerable to the style of his name, is the style of his book. The style of his name was, 1 Sam. 13. ●4. A man after GOD'S own heart. Acts 13. ●2. For such was his piety and sincerity as GOD was well pleased therewith, Juxta cor ●●um. q. d. Qui praeceptum divini consi●●● exequi●ur virtute devotionis Greg. Mag. Expos lib. 5. in 1 Reg. Cap. 13. and took much delight therein. The rather because his devotion towards GOD incited him to do what GOD required to be done. So the Book of Psalms, may well carry this style, A book after Gods own heart, in that nothing is more acceptable unto GOD, nothing wherein he takes more delight than Devotion. And no book of sacred Scripture fuller of Devotion than that book. Most of the Psalms wholly consist of Prayers or Praises: very few, if any at all, wherein there are not some divine raptures, Devotio▪ est pius & humilia affectus in DEUM humilis ex conscientia infirmitatis pro priae: pius ex consideratione divinae clementiae Aug▪ de Spir. & Anima Cap 50. and such heavenly ejaculations, as manifest an heart full of Devotion. For Devotion is a pious and humble affection to God-wards. Humble through conscience of a man's own infirmity. Pious through a due consideration of the divine clemency. Such Devotion is never more fully and to the life manifested then in Prayers and Praises. For in these divine duties, if rightly performed, the soul presents itself before GOD, and that in a special manner, being after a sort even rapt out of the body. Then, if ever, doth the soul, so far as it is capable, with an holy admiration apprehend the divine Majesty, Purity, Justice, Wisdom, Power, yea Mercy, Goodness, and other excellencies wherewith GOD is decked. Then, if ever is the soul brought throughly to discern its own infirmity, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dixit Arist. impurity, baseness, vileness and cursedness. For contraries paralleled, Rhet lib. 3 cap. 2. or laid together do most lively set forth each other in their own proper colours. He that liveth in a dark dungeon, will be enamoured with the bright shining of the Sun, when he can have liberty to see it. And he that hath long lived under bright Sunshine, more thoroughly discerns the horror and damage of darkness. Now GOD and man are in many respects directly opposite each to other: This opposition is best discerned in our most serious contemplations of God's excellencies and due consideration of our own manifold infirmities, which is most to purpose done in acts and exercises of Devotion. In this respect this present Treatise is worthy of all acceptation, even for the subject matter whereof it consisteth, which is divine Devotition. Herein you shall observe GOD most highly advanced; and man most lowly dejected. GOD advanced above the highest Heavens; Man dejected below the lowest parts of the earth. GOD magnified in his mercies, and justified in his judgements; Man judged and condemned according to his just deserts. If the Author of a Work add any thing to the worth of a Work, the Author of this Work must needs add much to the worth of it. For he was a man of a profound judgement, and a zealous spirit: which endowments are most fit for matters of Devotion. Devotion must have fire in it, in which respect a zealous spirit is very requisite. Devotion hath an especial reference to GOD, in which respect solid judgement is also requisite. As all the true genuine Works of this Author give evidence of his more than ordinary spirit, so this Model especially. By it you may perceive what kind of fire fired the sacrifices which he offered up to GOD. We read in the Law (Levit. 9 24.) that there came a fire out from the LORD, ●lloigne qu● divinitùs ad Altare venerit deinceps custodito omnia erant accendenda quae in tabernaculo accendi oportebant. and consumed upon the Altar the burnt offering. Aug. Quest. Super Levit. lib. 3. ● 31. That fire which once came from the LORD being continually preserved, all things which required fire in the Tabernacle were to be fired therewith, as all manner of sacrifice, and incense. Such a fire, a celestial, a divine fire, which must needs come from the LORD, set on fire the spiritual sacrifices, and sacred incense which this Priest of the LORD, the Author of this Treatise, offered up to his GOD. We ought therefore to give the more earnest heed hereunto: and to help our own devotion, and to quicken and inflame our own spirits thereby. Without all question the Models of some eminent persons Devotion, may be a singular help to others Devotion. Every one that hath this divine fire of Devotion in his soul, cannot always readily bring fit fuel to make it flame forth. But when fuel is brought by others, it will soon take, and quickly flame out. Neither is this (as some too weakly, though very violently cavil) to stint the spirit of supplication. For the work of the Spirit consists not so much in the words and phrases whereby the matter of Devotion is expressed, as in the intention of the heart, and in the entireness and earnestness of the affection, wherein the very form, soul and life of true Devotion consisteth. Otherwise, the spirit of all GOD'S people in all public Liturgies, and forms of prayer would be stinted: yea by this reason the spirit of every one that joineth with another in prayer (except his spirit only who conceiveth and uttereth the prayer) would be stinted. And if so, then away with public assemblies for prayer: away with family meetings to call upon GOD: away with all meetings of two or three together in CHRIST'S name, notwithstanding CHRIST'S promise of being in the midst of them (Mat. 18. 20.) But rather away with such proud and preposterous conceits, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX Oratio pro pau●ere. which clean cross the tenor of sacred Scripture, Tremel. & ●un. and commendable custom of GOD'S Church in all ages. Jot Psalmus in principio vocem Prophetae continet ex persona peccatoris Hier. Sacred Scripture records sundry prayers conceived and uttered by one, but assented to by sundry others, whereby they became also the prayers of those others. Quod slen●es dica●●s nos qui pro peccatis 〈◊〉 his ver●iculis ●do●emur. Arnob. The 102. Psalm bears this title, A Prayer for the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. This title apparently showeth that the Prophet who first penned this Psalm, did it in the persons and for the use of any poor distressed servant of GOD. So as we thereby are taught what to pray when our sins lie heavy upon us, or when we are in any other distress. It is expressly said that john taught his Disciples to pray, Luke 11. 1. This questionless was done by prescribing unto them a form of prayer. Whereupon when a Disciple of CHRIST said unto him, LORD teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples, he said unto them, when ye pray, say Our Father which art in Heaven, etc. As john had prescribed a form to his Disciples, so CHRIST doth to his: and so teacheth them to pray, as john did his. Sundry forms of prayers were by the Ancient Fathers composed for the Churches in their days. In like manner have all Christian Churches in succeeding ages, had their particular forms. Never had any age, or country more pious, pithy forms than ours, some for public, others for private use, among which the form here tendered unto thee hath its excellency. As it is lawful to have such help, so may such an help be very useful. W. GOUGE, The Contents. A Prayer upon a solemn occasion. Page 1. A morning Prayer for a Family. p. 30. Another morning Prayer. p. 53. A general form of Prayer and praise. p. 88 An evening Prayer. p. 105. A Prayer before a Sermon. p. 116. A Prayer before Sermon. p. 122. A Grace before meat. p. 134. A Prayer before Sermon. p. 135. A Prayer after Sermon. p. 137. An Evening Prayer most useful in time of war or invasion. p. 139. The Preachers Prayer. p. 159. A Thanksgiving for the King's return from Spain and a Prayer for his prosperity. p. 163. A Prayer for wholesome and seasonable weather. p. 168. In visitation of the sick. p. 170. A Prayer when any draws near unto death. p. 176. A Prayer in time of Plague. p. 184. & 186. A Prayer for confession of sin p. 215. A Thanksgiving. p. 233. The Author's private Prayer. p. 256. Errata. Page 80. line 1. 〈…〉 read stirring. pag▪ 155. l. 5. for bodies read souls▪ A Prayer upon a solemn occasion. O Eternal God, most holy and most Glorious, which dwellest in the highest heavens, and with righteousness and truth swayest the Sceptre of the whole world, thou that art unto the wicked and rebellious wretches a terrible Judge and a consuming fire, but to the humble and repentant sinners a strong tower of defence, and their exceeding great reward. We the most miserable and wretched of all thy creatures, though the most noble by creation; for they in their kinds and several conditions do thee honour and service, but we whom thou hast placed in this world for a more singular and extraordinary glorifying of thee; have not only made ourselves more vile than the basest creatures, and more senseless in thy service then the beasts that perish; but have even combined with Satan, with hell and with all the powers of darkness, to blaspheme and dishonour thy great name, to profane thy Sabbaths, to break all thy holy Laws & Commandments. O LORD we thus sinful and unworthy, are here ashamed and confounded in thy presence; for our iniquities are increased over our heads, and our trespasses are grown up unto the heavens, so that if now in thy just judgement, thou shouldst come against us, as we have many times, and do daily most justly provoke thee, it had been far better for us we had never been borne; Satan would challenge us for his, we should never see thy face again, nor the heavens, nor the earth, nor all the goodness which thou hast prepared for man. From the foul pollution of Original sin, which hath universally infected and possessed all the powers and parts both of our souls and bodies as from a filthy puddle, have issued all kinds of impurities, many works of darkness and fearful transgressions, both in our thoughts, words and actions. Much profaneness and hardness of heart, pride and hypocrisy, contempt of the power of godliness and godly men, a senseless neglect of thy word and judgements, of the way to Heaven and the salvation of our own souls. Even the best of us before our calling, wearied ourselves in the vain pleasures and sinful fashions of this wretched world, being detained by the policies of hell, either in notorious sinfulness, or only formal hypocrisy. We walked with boldness in the way of darkness and of death, after the devices and desires of our own wicked hearts, in much bitterness and malice against thy children and their sincerity. Nay and since it hath pleased thee to illighten our understandings with saving knowledge, and to pull us by the power of thy good Spirit out of the slavery of sin and Satan into the glorious liberty of thy children: Our best actions and thy good graces in us, have been foully stained by privy pride and secret hypocrisy; we many times stay thy blessings from us by our dullness and untowardness at religious exercises, and by reason we do not faithfully those good things which we know, we have the knowledge of many evil things kept from us which we unadvisedly commit. And whereas heretofore in our new birth, the sins of our unregeneration have woefully vexed and disquieted our consciences; yet such is the wretchedness of our corrupted nature, that we have sometimes looked back upon them even with delight, if we have escaped relapse and backsliding, we do not with that thankfulness and cheerfulness, as we ought, embrace in this happy time of grace and peace, those good means which thou hast ordained for our comfort and salvation; So that indeed we walk not worthy of that blessed vocation whereunto we are called, but by our many slips, imperfections and carelessness, we bring much discomfort upon our souls, disgrace to our Christian profession, dishonour to thy Majesty, and offence to our brethren. O LORD we beseech thee for thy holy names sake, and for thy rich mercies in CHRIST JESUS to pardon us all these our offences, and to forgive us all our sins known and unknown, howsoever, or whensoever committed, since or before our calling, and to bury them in the death and Passion of our blessed SAVIOUR, and to hide them in His righteousness for evermore. There is no comfort to be expected to our conscience wounded with the terror of sin, either in Heaven or in Earth, in Angel, Saint, or mortal man, but only in the spotless justice of thy dear Son. Persuade therefore we beseech thee, upon a good ground, with plentiful assurance every one of our souls, that his precious blood was shed for our sins in particular, that we may sensibly feel the forgiveness of our sins and rejoice in the hope of eternal life. And for the time to come we humbly entreat thee, to mortify in us all sinful affections, unruly lusts, and unlawful desires, to subdue in us the power of sin, and every corruption whereby Satan keeps us any way in his slavery, or at any time gets the dominion over us. Save us we beseech thee from idleness, worldliness, profaneness, security and all occasions whereby thy good Spirit is grieved in us, our graces weakened, and thy great Name dishonoured. Vouchsafe us the Spirit of judgement, that we may discern betwixt the short span of this wretched life, and the length and breadth of immortality, that we never prefer the pleasures of sin for a moment, and a little glory and preferment in this world, before the testimony of a good conscience, and that excellent weight of glory laid up in Heaven for all thy children. Make us faithful and conscionable in our Callings, zealous and sincere in all religious duties and services, and wisely resolute to stand for thy honour and truth against all opposition either by devils or wicked men. And so direct, we beseech thee, and sanctify all our courses, that for a few and evil days in this vale of tears, we may so store ourselves with spiritual comfort, with a sound heart, with a strong faith and a good conscience, that we may stand firm and sure at the day of our visitation, and when upon our death's bed we shall be set upon, by the weakness of our own flesh, the terrors of death, the faithfulness of the grave, and the firiest darts of Satan, we may comfortably pass thorough them all, in the name and power of thy Son, and be received with joyfulness & triumph into those sacred mansions, which he hath already made ready in Heaven for all those that truly love and fear thee. In his blessed name we pour out our souls in thankfulness, for all those many blessings and comforts which thou hast vouchsafed us, both upon our souls and bodies, both for this life and a better. For our health, wealth and liberty, our peace, plenty and prosperity, our food, apparel and preservation from our infancy to this very hour, and for all the good means of all these. For the free passage of thy glorious Gospel now so many years amongst us. But amongst all other temporal blessings of our times, let us never forget, nor we, nor all our posterity for ever, how it pleased thee in our days miraculously to magnify the glory of thy mercy in our wonderful deliverance from the most secret, bloody, and fiery plot of the Gunpowder Treason, that great astonishment of men and Angels. All these outward comforts both public and particular are excellent and precious; yet they are such as we have common with the reprobates and those that shall never see thy face with comfort, but after a short time spent in the miserable pleasures of this vain world, shall be turned to hell and everlasting fire. We therefore more especially magnify thy great name for the more special pledges and tokens of thy infinite love, for that it hath pleased thee to confirm and seal unto us by our effectual calling, and the earnest of thy good Spirit, our Election to eternal life from all eternity, our particular Redemption from the powers of hell by the death of thy Son, and an undoubted assurance of the joys of Heaven in the world to come. Increase in us good LORD, we beseech thee, daily more and more this blessed assurance, which we infinitely esteem more dear than ten thousand worlds, by making us to grow in repentance and faith, and spiritual wisdom, and framing us to the obedience of thy Son in all knowledge, love and obedience. Furthermore gracious Father, we humbly entreat thee, with the bowels of thy tenderest compassions to be merciful unto thy whole Church and every member thereof. Fence it mightily we pray thee with the Spirit of truth, knowledge, and zeal and constancy, that in these worst and last days it may make a strong resistance against the great main floods of Popery, Schism, profaneness and Atheism. Be gracious unto this sinful Kingdom, and enter not into judgement with the horrible and crying sins, and the many fearful provocations thereof. In the same look down with the special eye of providence and protection upon our dread Sovereign JAMES, by thy grace King of great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the truly Catholic faith, and in all causes, and over all persons▪ next and immediately under thy Son CHRIST JESUS in all his Dominions supreme Governor. O LORD as thou hast enlarged his royal heart even as the sand which is on the seashore for understanding, learning and wisdom, so we beseech thee to continue unto him a proportionable measure of holiness, zeal and sanctification for the execution of that great place wherein thou hast set him, and the enlargement of thy Kingdom here on earth. Settle his crown fast upon his head, that he may long and religiously reign over us in despite of all his enemies both at home and abroad. Vouchsafe all the graces of thy good Spirit unto his gracious Queen, Plant the true fear of thy great Name in the Princely heart of his Son, and let thy watchful providence and thy loving mercies for ever rest upon all that royal family. Inspire his Honourable Privy Counsel, his Nobility, Gentry, and Magistracy with spiritual wisdom and heavenly understanding. Lead them all into thy Sanctuary, and teach them out of thy holy Word, first and chiefly those things which concern thy honour and glory, the good of the people which depend upon them, and lastly the comfort of their own souls at the dreadful day of judgement, when they shall give an account of their stewardships. every we pray thee with thy best graces all the Reverend Bishops and Ministers of this Land, Endew them plentifully with knowledge, zeal, sincerity and discretion, that by their faithfulness and conscionable discharge of their duties, the many multitudes in this Land that lie in darkness, ignorance, profaneness, Popery and Schism may be brought to the knowledge of thy truth, into a holy obedience to thy heavenly Gospel to their own everlasting salvation. Bless and be merciful to both our Universities, Oxford and Cambridge. Comfort all thy distressed children wheresoever, or howsoever afflicted, whither with Pestilence, War, Famine, banishment, sickness, poverty, imprisonment, disquietness of mind, vexation of conscience, want of spiritual comfort, or what other cross or calamity soever it pleaseth thee to exercise them with. Give them in the mean time a sure faith in thy promises, and inward comfort in thy blessed Spirit, and in thy good time a happy deliverance, whither by life or death, as it shall be best for thy glory and the good of their own souls. Lastly, gracious Father for this sacred business we have now in hand, we humbly beseech thee to bless and sanctify unto us at this time the preaching and hearing of thy holy Word, it is the ordinance of thy own infinite wisdom, it is the glorious instrument which thou hast appointed for the conversion and salvation of the souls of men. But unto us miserable wretches it hath been many times thorough the barrenness of our hearts, the secret and deceitful corruptions of our nature, much sleepiness and drowsiness, but as water spilt on the ground, and even the breath of thy Ministers scattered in the air. Forgive us dear Father all our former untowardness, irreverence and unprofitableness in these holy exercises; and now at length before we go down into our graves, into black and cruel habitations, from whence we must never return to praise thee upon earth; let us feel thy divine finger working in us effectually at the preaching of thy Word. Let us have the sense of thine Omnipotency in conquering our corruptions and temptations, that we being thoroughly sanctified both in our souls and bodies, forsaking all our known sins, and labouring with sincerity to please thee in all things, may have our fruit in holiness, and the end everlasting life. Hear us, etc. A Morning Prayer for a Family. O LORD our GOD, we pray thee be merciful unto us, stir up we beseech thee our dull hearts, out of a true sense of our sins and miseries, and a lively faith▪ in CHRIST JESUS, and his precious deservings, to lift up our souls in prayers and praises unto thee. O LORD how are we bound to magnify thy great Name, for all the loving kindness and great mercies vouchsafed us; for preserving us this night passed from the ills▪ and dangers, which no doubt have befallen many of our brethren, as good by nature as ourselves; for refreshing our frail bodies with quiet rest and sleep, and bringing us in health, in strength, and vigour of body to see the light of this day; for that it hath pleased thee to reveal unto us the mysteries of godliness, and some measure of saving truth, which thou hast hid from many thousands of the greatest and wisest of the world; For that thou hast preserved us from many fearful transgressions and excesses of iniquity, to which our corrupt nature would otherwise have led us. For giving us the being of reasonable creatures, and being borne in this blessed time and part of the world, when and where thy glorious Gospel is on foot, for the continuance of our health and strength of body, for the usefulness and vigour of the powers of our souls and senses, of which for abusing them, we have deserved ere this, to have been fearfully deprived. For our ingenuous and godly education, for our Christian company and good counsel we have many times by thy mercies enjoyed. For thy Word and Sacraments, the glorious means of our conversion and continuance in grace. For many gracious mercies, by which thou hast laboured gently and fairly to draw us unto thee. For those judgements which thou hast sent to humble us, and to bring us to repentance. For the enlarging of our time for storing ourselves with Grace, and comfort against the day of our visitation. For our freedom from many miseries, crosses and vexations which befall other our brethren better than ourselves. For that it hath pleased thee by thine everlasting decree out of thine own boundless goodness and blessed pleasure to save us from many thousand others which perish everlastingly, and to make us heirs of endless happiness, as we are verily persuaded, in the world to come. For preventing and following us with thy saving graces. O LORD, we pray thee, to open our eyes daily more and more, to see and acknowledge these thy great and undeserved mercies upon us; and to enlarge our hearts sincerely and feelingly to magnify thy great Name for the same. And as we humbly entreat thee upon the knees of our souls for pardon and remission of all other sins, so especially for our monstrous and harefull ingratitude for thy great and many mercies towards us most wicked and sinful creatures. We are ashamed and confounded that so much favour, and mercy, and long forbearance should be extended to such rebellious and carnal wretches as we are. For besides that natural pollution we drew from the loins of our sinful parents, we have heaped up a great measure of actual sins, since we had the use and exercise of reason, and power and ability to sin. O LORD our GOD, we humbly beseech thee to give us a full sight of them all, and a true sense of thy great wrath & indignation against them. Let us have remorse and compunction in our hearts and consciences for them all, in our affections a perfect hate and detestation of the least corruptions and infirmities. And be thou pleased, gracious Father, thoroughly to purge and wash our souls with the precious blood of thy dear Son, deliver us quite, we beseech thee, from the guilt, horror and damnation due unto them. And grant that hereafter we may walk conscionably and carefully in all our ways, that we suffer no more our poor souls to be stained with these foul pollutions we have formerly delighted in. We confess and acknowledge to our shame and confusion, that we have many times vowed betwixt thee and our own souls, that we would watch more carefully over our own hearts, lest they should breed and nourish profane, idle and wandering thoughts and imaginations; over ourtalke, lest we should offend with our tongue, that we would be more zealous and faithful in the duties of our calling, in sanctifying thy Sabbaths, receiving thy Sacraments, hearing thy Word, in Christian conference, company, meditation and all other holy duties: but alas, all these good purposes have been but as the morning dew, we have even in short time broken our vows, grown cold again, dull and formal, to the much grief of thy good Spirit, and discomfort of our own souls. Now LORD we pray thee deal mercifully with us in this point, forgive our many frailties and infirmities herein; and at length thoroughly sanctify us, draw our affections from the false glory and sinful pleasures of this vain world, and fasten them there, where true, sound and lasting comfort is to be enjoyed. Give us wise and understanding hearts, that we may see and perceive those things that belong to thy glory and the salvation of our own souls, and sanctified wills and holy affections to follow and pursue them with all earnestness, zeal and fervency of spirit. Let us even this day get some ground against Satan, and forwardness in the course of Sanctification. Let us store ourselves with some new godly purposes and holy resolutions to do thy will, and keep thy righteous commandments. Fill our hearts daily more and more with all saving graces and the virtues of CHRIST JESUS. Cause us perpetually to keep in mind, and consider that we are but as pilgrims and strangers here in this world, that we must shortly depart hence, and never return again, but presently come to judgement, and receive an everlasting reward according to our works. Weaken we beseech thee daily more and more the power of sin in us, let us feel it decay and lose its hold and haunt in us, and strengthen in us the power of grace, the new man, and all spiritual comforts. Neither pray we for ourselves only, but for all thy dear children, fellow heirs with us of everlasting happiness in what part of the world soever they be. LORD we pray thee to be continually present with them with all thy comforts and mercies, let thy good Spirit lead them into all truth, let the wings of thy providence and protection stretch over them all. And such as yet lie in profaneness and under the shadow of death, hasten their conversion, reveal unto them the glorious comforts of grace, and let the powers of darkness hold them no longer. LORD be merciful unto this sinful Kingdom wherein we live, and enter not into judgement with the horrible rebellions and fearful abominations thereof. Stay the rage of profaneness that fearfully overflows in all places, to thy great dishonour and grief of thy children. Stop the crying sins of the time, and recover thine own glory out of the hands of thy creatures whosoever they be. Glorify thine own self, and refresh and cheer up thy children. Prosper thy Gospel amongst us, grant it a free and comfortable passage, send it where it is not, keep and prosper it where it is, let thy blessings ever follow it, and thy mighty power uphold it. Oppose thyself against them that oppose against it, and let them know, that it is thine own glory that is in hand, and that they set themselves against the mighty GOD of Heaven and Earth. Disburden thy Church we pray thee of all ignorant, factious and scandalous Ministers, and plant in their rooms men of care and conscience, sensible of the great charge they have undertaken, truly fearing thee, and holding it their greatest comfort in this world to save the souls of men. Bless we pray thee our Prince and people, Magistrates and Ministers, all degrees and estates from the highest to the lowest. Sanctify and furnish every one of them with all needful graces fit both for the faithful discharge of those particular places wherein thou hast set them, and that they may do thee the best and utmost service they can possibly. Direct and guide with the Spirit of wisdom all his Counsellors, that they may chiefly and principally advise those things, which may make for the advancement of thy glory, and comfort of thy children. Be merciful to all Christian Families, to this family here present, continue thy grace and mercy upon it, and let thy loving kindness and comforts of salvation never depart from it. Remember in mercy and love all mourners in Zion. Comfort all those that are any ways afflicted, bind up the broken and contrite heart with thy sweetest comforts. Give strength and life of grace to those that are babes in CHRIST, recover those that are fallen, preserve those that stand, uphold those that are declining, continue all in their first love, etc. and increase in every one of them daily more and more christian resolution, zeal and forwardness, that they may glorify thee in all their courses far more than ever they have done heretofore. Lastly, we pray thee be merciful to all those, whom thou hast made, in more special manner, the instruments of thy goodness and favour unto us, all that thou hast bound unto us with any bond of nature of friendship, or any way made dear unto us, Those who remember us in their prayers, or commend themselves to our most unworthy supplications; LORD we pray thee be merciful unto them, let the light of thy countenance shine upon them, put Religion, thy fear and love every day more and more into their hearts and souls, and let the comforts of godliness ever rest upon them. And grant that we may all with one mind, heart and soul, love, fear, reverence and glorify thy great Name; that so after a few days, spent religiously in this vain and wretched world, we may live and reign with thee everlastingly, in the glorious and endless pleasures of the life to come, Hear us, etc. Another Morning Prayer. O LORD we beseech thee graciously to accept this our Morning sacrifice of prayers and thanksgiving, that we poor wretches offer unto thee the GOD of all glory and Majesty. LORD take from us all dullness of heart, all wicked and wand'ring thoughts; put into our souls the spirit of prayer with affection, zeal and fervency, that we may rightly and reverently call upon thy great and glorious Name. O Eternal GOD, most mighty and most fearful, which dwellest in the highest Heavens, and with thy wise providence directest all things ●o an excellent end; Thou which art to the wicked and rebellious wretches a terrible Judge and consuming fire; but to the humble and repentant sinners a strong tower of defence, and their everlasting reward. We the unworthiest of all thy creatures, though the most noble by Creation; for they in their kinds and several conditions do thee honour and service, but we whom thou hast placed in this world for a more excellent glorifying of thee, have not only made ourselves more vile than the basest creatures, and more senseless in thy service then the beasts that perish, but have even conspired with Hell, Satan and all the powers of darkness to blaspheme and dishonour thy great Name, to profane thy Sabbaths, to break all thy holy Laws and Commandments. We O LORD thus wretched and unworthy are here ashamed and confounded in thy presence, for our iniquities are increased over our heads and our trespasses are grown up unto the heaven, and so grievous are they that if thou shouldest require but the least of them at our hands, Satan would challenge us for his, and we should never see thy face again, nor the Heavens, nor the Earth, nor all the goodness which thou hast prepared for man. The thoughts of our hearts rise up in judgement against us; for whereas they should be meditating of thy mercies and goodness, of honouring thee in our vocations, whereas they should be knit fast unto thy blessed Word, O LORD, they are for the most part idle, wicked, enticing, and full of the corruption of our raging concupiscence. The vanity of our talk condemneth us, for whereas our words should be spent in defending thy honour and truth, in reprehending the horrible sins of those amongst whom we live, in giving grace to those that hear us, they are for the most part full of profaneness, worldliness and lying. The wickedness of our deeds cry continually for vengeance and curses upon us; for besides our many and gross sins, even our best actions are fearfully infected with privy pride and hypocrisy, whereas they should wholly and principally be directed to thy honour and glory, they are foully stained and corrupted with by-respects of credit, pleasure or profit. In hearing thy blessed Word, which we should count the very crown and garland of all our delights, we feel in ourselves great want of due preparation, reverend attention, meditation and practice. In our prayers that inestimable comfort of a regenerate soul, we are grievously vexed with dullness, weariness and by-thoughts. In all other good duties of obedience to thy holy Commandments, we want that courage, zeal and spiritual wisdom, which those excellent mercies thou hast vouchsafed us require at our hands. O LORD for thy great mercy's sake forgive us these great sins. When we look upon the vileness of our souls, by reason of these many transgressions, we see nothing before our eyes but thy heavy wrath, and everlasting curse, the torments of hell and endless confusion; but yet herein standeth our comfort, we know that to them which truly thirst after thy kingdom, which is righteousness and peace and joy in the HOLY GHOST, which faithfully desire to serve thee in sincerity, though they be encompassed with many weaknesses, Thou art a Father of infinite mercies and everlasting compassions, and wilt pass by many infirmities of thy dear children. We humbly therefore beseech thee, most gracious Father, to bury all our sins both before and since our calling in the grave of CHRIST JESUS, and hide them in his righteousness for evermore. There is no help or comfort to be had either in Heaven or in Earth, in Angels, Saints, or mortal men to our wounded consciences, but only in the spotless justice of thy dear Son. Give assurance therefore we beseech thee to every one of our souls, that his precious blood was shed for our sins in particular, that we may sensibly feel the forgiveness of our sins, and rejoice in the hope of eternal life. In His blessed name we give thee all possible thanks, for those many mercies and comforts which thou hast plentifully bestowed upon us most unworthy wretches. We thank thee dear Father for our health, wealth and liberty; for our peace, plenty and prosperity; for our food and apparel; for our preservation from our cradle to this hour, and all the good means of these; but more especially for the more special tokens of thy great love; for these we have common with the reprobates, and those which shall never see thy face with comfort, but after a short time spent in the miserable pleasures of this vain world, shall be turned to hell and everlasting fire. We thank thee for choosing us before all worlds to be heirs of Heaven and Citizens with thy Saints. We thank thee for confirming unto us our Election by our effectual calling. O happy be that blessed time, when thy good Spirit put the first motions into our hearts to become thy children. This is the blessing we infinitely esteem before all worldly comforts, and wherein is the preciousness of all true joy and contentment. O most loving and gracious Father, we beseech thee go forward with the work of this our New-birth that thou hast begun in us, and never take away thy hand unto the day of JESUS CHRIST. Thou hast promised, that whom thou hast loved once, thou wilt love for ever, and thou art without all shadow of change, and sooner shall the mountains be cast into the Sea before one jot of thy gracious promise fall unto the ground, or one title of thy Word be unaccomplisht. Take from us therefore we beseech thee all privy pride and hypocrisy, all vanity and vainglory, all dullness, backwardness and security in thy service, which hang so fast on, which cleave so close unto our souls, and fearfully hinder us in the course of godliness, but above all things let us never fall back again into the gross and horrible sins of our unregeneration. Reveal unto us we beseech thee all our sins, give us tender consciences and a continual increase in spiritual wisdom and heavenly understanding, until we come unto that happy strength by which the world is crucified unto us and we unto the world, and be able to say out of the powerful feeling of thy goodness upon our souls, with thy blessed servant David, GOD is our hope and strength and help in troubles ready to be found. Therefore will we not fear though the earth be moved, and though the mountains fall into the midst of the Sea. Though the waters thereof rage and be troubled, and the mountains shake at the same. GOOD LORD be merciful with the bowels of thy Fatherly compassions unto thy Church, and every member thereof. Be gracious unto this sinful Kingdom, and enter not into judgement with the horrible sins thereof. And in the same look down we beseech thee, with the special eye of providence and protection upon the excellent instrument of thy glory our most gracious Sovereign. Give him the spirit of zeal, wisdom and government, that he may long and religiously reign over us in despite of all his enemies both at home and abroad. Bless all his Counsellors, both our Universities, Oxford and Cambridge, the Nobility of this Land, the Gentry, all inferior Magistrates, all Judges and Justices of Peace, those that are employed in fight thy battles either by Land or Sea. Give to every one a spirit to his calling. Lead them all into thy Sanctuary, and teach them out of thy holy Word first and chiefly those things which concern thy honour and glory, the good of the people that depend upon them, and lastly the salvation and comfort of their own souls at the dreadful day of judgement, when they shall give an account of their stewardships. every we beseech thee with many graces of zeal, faithfulness and sincerity the Ministers and Preachers of thy holy Word; bless their labours that some good may come of them, increase their number, place over every Congregation a faithful and religious Watchman, that may go in and out before thy people in soundness of doctrine and uprightness of conversation. Touch the hearts of the many multitudes of this Land, that at length they may turn unto thy truth, and so be delivered out of the tyranny and power of Satan, to the freedom of thy dear Son CHRIST JESUS our LORD. Give success, good LORD, and prosper all those which in their good purposes seek the preferment of thy truth by good and lawful means. Bless all them that thou hast joined unto us with any bond of love, kindred, or acquaintance, all those whose hearts thou hast stirred up to do us good any manner of ways; and those also which wish and work us evil if they belong unto thee. Comfort O LORD with thy sweetest comforts all thy children which are vexed either in soul, or body, whether by Pestilence, Famine, War, poverty, imprisonment, sickness or banishment: trouble of conscience, vexation of spirit, disquietness of mind, want of spiritual comfort, or whatsoever kind of affliction of body, or mind thou dost try them with. Give them in the mean time faith in thy promises, and comfort in thy Spirit, and in thy good time a happy deliverance, whether by life or by death, as it shall be best to thy honour and glory and good of their own souls. But especially as we are bound at this time, we humbly entreat thy loving kindness and tender mercies, for our poor afflicted brethren and sisters here about us in London, Oxford, and many other places of this Land. O LORD stay thy revenging hand; Though we be but worms and dust, yet thou art our Creator, and we the work of thy hands. Thou art our Father, and we thy children, Thou art our Shepherd, and we thy sheep, Thou art our Redeemer and we the people whom thou hast bought, Thou art our GOD, and we thine inheritance. Forget not therefore O LORD to be gracious, and shut not up thy loving kindness in displeasure; turn thee again at the last, and be gracious unto thy servants. And grant we beseech thee that these great judgements may effect and work that for which they were sent, even true humiliation, and undissembled repentance, that we all turning unto thee in truth and sincerity, thou mayst turn unto us with thy mercies and everlasting compassions. And whereas we whom of thy great goodness thou hast thus long time spared, are as deep as those whom the Plague hath consumed. We beseech thee make us wise by their afflictions, and so inform us in thy fear, that we may frame the rest of our life in all holy obedience according to thy will. Lastly most gracious LORD, we humbly beseech thee to take us this day under the shadow of thy wings. Let thy Omnipotency be a brazen wall unto us, let thy mighty hand and stretched out arm encompass us, let thy careful providence watch over us, and thy blessed Angels pitch about us. And sith we now enter into the affairs of this day, let not we beseech thee the delights, benefits and honours of this life ensnare our souls, or make a breach into our consciences: for these weak and carnal comforts will never follow us unto the dark places, but when we shall sit down in the dust, and say unto corruption thou art our father, and to the worm thou art our mother and sister, than they will all leave us; nay they will turn to wormwood and bitterness. Sanctify we beseech thee our thoughts, knit them fast unto thy holy Word, and the necessary businesses of our vocation. Keep, we pray thee, in a sanctified moderation all the affections of our hearts, and stir our passions that none of them break out upon us either to dishonour thy Majesty, disquiet our own consciences, or disgrace our Christian carriage. Let all our words be seasoned with grace, religion and charity. Let every action into which we shall enter this day or ever hereafter, be just and lawful, and in them bless us with sincerity of heart, with a godly end and good means. O LORD, we beseech thee give us the spirit of judgement, that we may discern between the short span of this wretched life, and the length and breadth of immortality, that we never esteem the pleasures of sin for a moment, before eternal and everlasting joys, but even count the best things of this world as dung, as vanity and nothing, nay as worse than vanity and less than nothing, for the winning of CHRIST JESUS, and that excellent weight of glory laid up in Heaven for all thy servants. Work in our hearts we beseech thee a perfect detestation even of our sweetest and jest sins; let us ever look upon them in their true nature, and greatest ugliness, as accompanied with thy heavy displeasure and fearfullest judgements; that we may loathe them as a Serpent, and so cease for ever to offend thee in them. And whereas we are every day afresh to enter combat, not with flesh and blood, but with the Prince of darkness, the rulers of the air, the spiritual craftiness and policies of hell; vouchsafe us we beseech thee the complete armour of true Christians. The breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit; but above all the shield of faith, that we may manfully fight against our corruptions, that we may quench all the fiery darts of Satan, tread the malicious Serpent under our feet, and at our last and greatest fight in godly triumph and through the might and merits of our Captain JESUS CHRIST, may say with gladness and joy, O death where is thy sting, O hell where is thy victory. And in the mean time, for as much as every day we step nearer our grave, and approach nearer unto thy presence, and that great and fearful judgement before thy throne, even for our idle words and wand'ring thoughts, give unto us we beseech thee every day a new grace, a new strength in the course of regeneration, more full assurance of the remission of our sins, till with a wise heart, we have such a feeling of the glory of GOD, and of eternal life, that we make up our account with the world, and be at a point with all that is under the Sun. And sith at that day we must answer not only for the sins of our own persons, but for many sins of those that depend upon us, if we labour not to bring them unto GOD; for sins committed by our ill example; for sins that we have seen and heard in others, and have not grieved & religiously reprehended them. LORD we beseech thee give us an exact and precise care over all our ways; over our general calling of Christianity and those particular callings wherein thou hast placed us. And let us never be hindered or discouraged in any good thing by the profane and malicious reproaches of wicked and carnal men, and the many oppositions of Satan; and the rather because to us it is a blessed mark that we are translated out of darkness into light, and that we will not run with them unto the same excess of riot: but to them it is a token of perdition. For why should we, good LORD, for the vain and unjust censures of mortal wretches turn from thee for this little inch of time, and hereafter receive everlasting confusion. A General form of Prayers and praise. LORD prepare our dull and unprepared souls to pour out our petitions with humility, zeal and reverence unto thy great Majesty. LORD make our hearts as mountains of myrrh and Incense to send up praises and thanksgiving to the Sanctuary where thy honour dwelleth. MOst mighty and most glorious God, thou that inhabitest eternity, and dwellest in the light that no man can attain unto; at whose terrible presence the mountains melt away and the Angels hide their faces, yet our most gracious and merciful Father in CHRIST JESUS, vouchsafing from the height of Heaven to look upon us vile worms and dust with the eye of tender compassion, we thy wretched and sinful servants, heirs of corruption, children of wrath, sons of disobedience; do in the name and mediation of thy dear Son our blessed Saviour prostrate ourselves before thy throne of grace and mercy-seat, begging and craving at thy hands pardon and remission for all our sins. LORD they are most grievous and manifold, most horrible and intolerable. To the original corruption of our sinful nature, wherein we were conceived, we have added all kinds of actual transgressions. All the time before our calling we gave ourselves to wantonness, to work all uncleanness even with greediness, we drunk up sins like water, and fed upon iniquity as the horseleech on corrupt bloods, we drew iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as with cart-ropes. All our thoughts, words and deeds were menstruous, filthy and abominable, nothing but a slavish service of the world, the flesh and the devil; since our calling when we should have been most pure, sincere and sanctified, we have sinned grievously, although not notorious to the world, yet horribly before thine eyes in privy pride, hypocrisy, dullness, security, want of zeal and forwardness in thy service; nay LORD we have had many fearful backslidings into our grossest sins, etc. so that now they are become as many in number as the Stars in Heaven, as great as the mountains, as red as scarlet; for CHRIST JESUS his sake, for thy infinite mercy's sake, and for thy holy Names sake, bury them all in the blessed and bloody wounds of our dear SAVIOUR, that they never rise up at the dreadful day of judgement to give testimony against our souls to our utter confusion. Hide them all in the bottomless Ocean of thy endless mercy that they die out of thy remembrance everlastingly. And send we beseech thee into every one of our souls that happy and heavenly assurance of the remission of our sins, whence springeth joy and contentment most precious and unvaluable, infinite more worth than ten thousand worlds. LORD we bless, praise and magnify thy great and glorious name, for all those great mercies, benefits and comforts, which out of thy immeasurable bounty thou hast plentifully bestowed upon us. First and chiefly we humbly thank thee, for that it hath pleased thee of thy mere favour and love to elect us before the foundation of the world, to be heirs of thy immortal Kingdom, for creating us after thine own image, for redeeming us with the precious blood of thy dear Son, for calling us into the glorious liberty of thy sons, for justifying us, for sanctifying us with thy holy Spirit, for the joyful hope of glorification in the world to come. Confirm unto us we beseech thee these great and incomparable blessings with the sacred testimony of thy holy Spirit. Let thy blessed Spirit tell our spirits that we are thy Elect. Let our sweet Saviour CHRIST JESUS say unto our souls I am your salvation. Seal our salvation unto our souls with the pledge, seal and earnest of thy holy Spirit. Furthermore most gracious Father we humbly thank thee, for that extraordinary and universal blessing vouchsafed this Land by our gracious and religious King it is the greatest that ever the face of this earth enjoyed, that ever thou bestowedst on thy dearest children. For when wicked men and all the world, as thou knowest, expected that this Land should have been clothed with fiery persecutions, bloody wars, and all manner of calamities as with a garment; Thou that sittest in Heaven, and laughest the vain plots and devises and wicked men to scorn, against all expectation hast covered it with peace, joy, plenty, prosperity, the free passage of thy Gospel, as the seas are covered with water. Put we pray thee into the heart of every one in this Land a true and continual thankfulness, a godly and religious resolution to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life. And LORD we beseech thee continue that good work that thou hast begun, and let him and his posterity in thy fear and true religion, if it be thy blessed pleasure, sit upon the throne of this Land, so long as the Sun and Moon endureth. Let his Sceptre long flourish in his hand, and set his crown fast upon his head. O mightily preserve him from all the sons of violence and mischief. Let all those that with foreign invasion attempt the destruction of his person, and desolation of this Land become like jabin and Sisera that perished at Endor, like Zeba and Zalmunna that became as the dung of the earth. Let all unnatural practices, and homebred conspiracies perish as the untimely fruit of a woman and never see the Sun. Inflame his royal heart with true zeal, and love of thy blessed truth, and as thou hast enlarged his kingdoms, so give him a princely and religious courage to enlarge thy Kingdom, and utterly to confound all Heresy, Schism and the kingdom of Antichrist. Bless all his privy Counsellors with wisdom from above, that they may put these things into his heart, which chiefly concern thy honour and glory, the good of thy Church, the safety of his Person and quiet of this Land. Bless with several graces all inferior Magistrates, that they may all faithfully and religiously discharge the several places wherein they stand. Bless all his people with religion and loyalty, the Ministry with learning, zeal and sincerity. O LORD go out with his Captains and men of war that fight thy battles. We thank thee also dear Father for blessings more particularly concerning us, for delivering us from Popery, Idolatry, and Superstition, and illightening our understanding with thy blessed truth. Confirm it we beseech thee unto us daily more and more, that if need require, we may confirm it with our dearest bloods. We thank thee for giving us a taste of the powers of the world to come. Crucify we beseech thee unto us continually the lusts and corruptions of our sinful flesh, that the graces and comforts of regeneration may daily receive in us strength and perfection. We thank thee for removing from over our heads those heavy judgements and viols of thy wrath, that our crying sins have continually called for from Heaven; even all diseases and infirmities of body, all terrors and vexations of conscience, all civil deaths and torments, all shame and confusion; even that the earth should have opened his mouth and swallowed us quick, the water drowned us, the fire consumed us, vengeance from Heaven overtaken us, thy other creatures devoured us. Grant we beseech thee that hereafter by sound and undissembled repentance, and by agodly life we may abandon them and the fear of them for evermore. An Evening Prayer. WE thank thee most merciful Father for our health, wealth, food, raiment, preservation from our cradle to this hour; for thy relieving us in all our needs and necessities, for comforting us so fatherly in all our tribulations and distresses, for sparing us so long a time of repentance and for infinite more blessings which neither our hearts can think, nor tongues express. Now one thing dear LORD will we beg at thy hands, and that will we crave for evermore, that thou wouldst give us grace and power by thy blessed Spirit to direct and dispose all these excellent blessings both eternal and temporal, chiefly and principally to the honour of thy great Name, to the salvation of our souls, and the good of thy Church. And to this end root we beseech thee out of our souls all pride, malice, envy, covetousness, self-love, hypocrisy; take from us all swearing, lying, vain and unprofitable talking, all thoughts of Atheism, Infidelity, uncleanness, all the menstruous filthiness of our abominable nature. And plant we beseech thee and engraft deeply into our souls the true fear of thy glorious Name, true humility, true zeal and devotion, true sorrow and repentance for all our sins, true spiritual wisdom and heavenly understanding, true hope and charity; but above all things a true, strong and a lively faith truly to apprehend the death and Passion of our dear Saviour, and in particular and effectually to apply it to our sinful souls. LORD make it ever powerful and invincible, but especially in all times of our crosses and afflictions; but LORD make it most triumphant and glorious even at the hour of death, at our last visitation, when the devil shall set before the eyes of our souls the black and ugly catalogue of all our sins, and when he shall prepare his firiest darts to wound our souls to death, O then let the light of thy heavenly countenance shine upon us, O then let▪ thy blessed Spirit comfort us with his sweetest comforts, let the fresh bleeding wounds of our dear Saviour appear gracious and effectual to our distressed souls. Bless good LORD, protect and defend thy Church wand'ring far and wide over the face of the whole earth. Let thy mighty hand and stretched out arm encompass it, let thy Omnipotency be a brazen wall about it; lead it we beseech thee into all truth, concord and sincerity; save it from all schisms, errors and heresies; mightily fence it from bloody Tyrants, hellish Atheists and merciless Politicians. Comfort we beseech thee all those that be comfortless, and distressed with sorrow, need, sickness, imprisonment, banishment, slanderous tongues, or any other cross or calamity. Especially good LORD, speak comfortably unto them in whose souls are the arrows of thine indignation, and the venom thereof drinks up their spirit, those that groan under the burden of a vexed conscience, and those that suffer persecution for the testimony of thy truth. LORD give them faith, patience and constancy to abide their trial, and a joyful issue to all their temptations. And as at this time we are bound we humbly entreat thy tender mercies and loving kindness for all those in this Land that thou hast heavily visited with the Plague of Pestilence. For CHRIST JESUS sake if it be thy blessed pleasure command thy Angel to cease from striking, put up the sword of judgement, which in great wrath and indignation thou hast drawn out against them. And LORD in the mean time give them joy and comfort in thy holy Spirit, that howsoever they be strangely and fearfully tormented in their body in this life, yet they may be assured of eternal happiness in the life to come. And teach we beseech thee both them and us by thy holy Spirit to take a right view of all our sins, the true causes of thy wrathful displeasure, and faithfully to repent for the same. And so much the rather O LORD, because the reprobate and such as thou forsakest cannot praise thee nor call upon thy Name, but the broken heart, the sorrowful mind and a conscience hungering after righteousness shall ever set forth thy praise and glory. Lastly most loving Father we beseech thee take us into thy defence and protection this night, let thy careful providence watch over us, let thy blessed Angels pitch about us, preserve us from all perils and dangers, from all the assaults of Satan, from vain, idle, and wicked dreams. Grant unto our bodies comfortable rest and quiet sleep, but let our souls continually watch for the coming of our Saviour in the clouds to end these last and worst days. Amen, even so come LORD JESUS, that we with thee and the rest of thy Elect may joyfully and triumphantly ascend unto the heavenly Jerusalem, there to enjoy fullness of joy and pleasures at thy right hand for evermore. Our Father which art in Heaven, etc. A Prayer before a Sermon. O LORD prepare our dull and unprepared hearts with fear and humility to enter the presence of thy great and glorious Majesty. O Most gracious God, our loving and merciful Father in CHRIST JESUS. We thy poor and sinful servants most humbly beseech thee, at this time to bless, and sanctify unto us the hearing of thy holy Word, it is the glorious instrument which thou hast appointed for the conversion and salvation of the souls of men. But unto us miserable wretches and full of pollution, it hath been many times through the barrenness of our hearts, the secret and deceitful corruptions of our nature, but even the breath of thy Ministers scattered in the air, and as water spilt upon the ground. Whereas it might be unto some being humbly and reverently received, as a two edged sword, that would enter through even unto the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and of the joints and the marrow, that would break in pieces their hard hearts, and strike their conscience with terror and remorse for their sins, a necessary step to regeneration. And whereas it might be unto others a precious restorative to repair the ruins of their conscience, and to put life into their dead zeal and affections, graciously to inform them in all the parts of their callings; it is but even as a witness of our coldness, senselessness and unthankefullnesse, registered in the book of our conscience against the day of our visitation. LORD we beseech thee out of thy tender compassions to forgive us all our former untowardness, irreverence and unprofitableness in these holy exercises. And now at length before we go down into our graves, into black and cruel habitations, from whence we must never return to praise thee upon earth, let us feel thy divine power working in us effectually at the preaching of thy Word, let us have a sense of thy Omnipotency in in conquering our corruptions and temptations, let thy powerful Spirit stir up our hearts, and quicken our affections to embrace the power of religion and true godliness, that so being freed from sin by the blood of CHRIST, and forsaking all our known sins, and labouring sincerely to please thee in all things, we may have our fruit in holiness, and the end everlasting happiness. A Prayer before Sermon. MOst merciful Father we humbly beseech thee to give every one of us grace to let these things sink deeply into our hearts. Bless we beseech thee our wills and affections with sanctified desires to entertain them, our memories with faithfulness to retain them, our minds with serious meditations to digest them, our hearts with fervency and prayer for thy blessings upon them, our lives with practice and piety to profit by them. LORD we see clearly that all our pleasures shall die and perish, that our honours shall be laid in the dust, that our gold and silver shall canker, and the rust of of them shall be a witness against us at the last day, that outward performances of religious duties without inward sanctification, shall have their portion with Hypocrites in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstrone. Where then shall appear the liar, the swearer, the drunkard, the profaner of the Sabbath, the unclean person, the proud, the idle, the malicious, the careless in his calling, even without timely and sound repentance, in the bottomless pit of the lowest hell. O than we beseech thee, gracious Father, to vouchsafe us in time wise and understanding hearts, the spirit of judgement to discern between the short span of this miserable life, and the length and breadth of eternity. Let us now at length make a through and deep search into the state of our souls and consciences, and if we find that we be not yet possessed of that inward sincerity and true happiness; let us for ever hereafter, with greatest fervency, earnestness and contention of spirit hunger and thirst, labour and strive after saving grace, the power of religion and true godliness, that so for a few and evil days, we stand wisely and resolutely for thy honour and truth, and with comfort and courage running the race of sanctification, may be provided and furnished with assurance of glory, clearness of conscience, strength of faith against the day of our visitation, that when we shall lie down upon our deaths-bed, and we know not how soon, we may be able to meet with the fearful temptations of our sinful flesh, the fiery darts of Satan, to encounter with the pangs of death, and terrors of the grave, and so pass with joyfulness and triumph to those glorious mansions of light and blessed immortality with thee in the highest heavens. Lastly Gracious Father, for this present holy business we have now in hand; we humbly beseech thee to let thy blessings be mightily upon thy Word at this time, that it may pierce and enter through to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, of the joints and the marrow, and to discover the very thoughts and intents of the heart. Keep we pray thee out of our hearts and heads all troubles, cares, wanderings, humours, passions, prejudice, distractions, deadness or whatsoever other cursed let shall be suggested by the devil, or our own wicked hearts. So sanctify unto our souls this holy ordinance of thine, that we may handle and hear it with all feeling power and reverence as the Word of thee the true and everliving GOD, and as that by which we must be judged at that last dreadful day. Make it to be a Word of conversion and enlargement to all them that are yet in the snares of the devil & ways of death: but of strengthening, encouragement and comfort to those that are already thine, that so by thy merciful blessing it may prove unto every one of us, the savour of life unto life, and thy mighty power unto us for salvation, and that for the LORD CHRIST JESUS his sake: In whose glorious Name and mediation we beg these and all other needful blessings, concluding in his own prayer, Our Father, etc. O LORD hear us in these our weak requests, and grant them unto us, and all other things necessary for us, for our bodies, our souls, our callings, or this present action, and for every member of thy Church; we beg them all in the name and mediation of CHRIST JESUS thy Son and our only SAVIOUR, to whom with thee and the holy Spirit, be all praise and power, and might, and dominion and thanksgiving ascribed at this time and evermore hereafter, Amen. BLessed are all they that hear the Word of GOD, believe it and do it. The grace of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and the love of GOD the Father in him, and the most comfortable fellowship, help and communion of GOD the HOLY GHOST, be with us all, bless us, preserve us and keep us, and every member of his Church in faith, a good, quiet and peaceable conscience, the rest of this day and evermore hereafter. Grace before meat. LORD GOD who hast created all things for the use and comfort of man, and man for thy own glory; Make we beseech thee these thy creatures wholesome for our bodies, and us thankful for them for CHRIST JESUS his sake. A Prayer before Sermon. MOst holy and righteous LORD GOD, we humbly and heartily thank thee for our preservation this night past, pardon we beseech thee unto us the sins thereof; And now prepare and sanctify us, for a right and comfortable serving of thee in this morning sacrifice, and holy duties we take in hand. Illighten our minds and enlarge our hearts by thine own good Spirit, that we may rightly conceive of the great mystery of grace and true meaning of thy holy Word, that we treasure it up in our memories with an holy greediness, and after walk by the strength thereof, with all fruitfulness and power in all thy ways, all the days of our life, and that for thy CHRIST his sake. A Prayer after Sermon. O LORD our GOD, thou clearly seest and beholdest from Heaven, what hearts we now bring into thy glorious presence from the business of this day, how full of earthliness, deadness, listlessness and unfitness to speak unto thee. We pray thee for CHRIST his sake to possess, quicken and sanctify them by thy blessed Spirit, that they may be ever feeling and fruitful in these holy exercises. Make us every day more and more wise, with all thy Saints and elect children unto our eternal salvation in the right understanding, believing and obeying of thy blessed Word, and great mystery of godliness, in JESUS CHRIST our LORD. An Evening Prayer most useful in time of war or invasion. O LORD our GOD, high and mighty, great and fearful, which dwellest in the highest Heavens and light that no man can attain unto, which by thy great power hast created Heaven and Earth and all things therein contained, and by thy wise providence directest every thing unto an excellent end. If thou shouldest deal with us in justice, we deserve to be plagued with all the horrible and fearful plagues of Egypt in this world, and hereafter to be perpetually damned, both in body and soul in the lake of hell fire, where there is nothing but endless woe, weeping and gnashing of teeth. If there be any sin we have not committed, it was because we wanted means, opportunity, enticement, temptation, or something, not for want of a sinful disposition in us. If thou shouldest deal with us, as we have dealt with thee, we should be presently damned eternally. If thou shouldest be as careless of us, as we have been of thee, and the salvation of our souls, we should never see thy face in Heaven. O LORD fright our heart with a true sight and sense of all our sins. O LORD persuade our hearts, that since thou didst not curse and damn us, when we lay wallowing in horrible sins, thou wilt not now cast us away when we are converted, etc. Thou wilt rather pity us for our infirmities then condemn us for them. Persuade our souls by that good experience we have had of thy goodness that thou wilt be our GOD for ever. Let us not so much fear and abhor the punishment and guilt of sin, but also the power and tyranny, whereby we are enforced to offend so loving and so gracious a Father. Give us soundness of knowledge, purity of heart, holiness of life, contempt of the world, conquest over our sins, the comforts of thy blessed Spirit, a joyful expectation of our deliverance from sin and sorrow. The spirit of meekness and wisdom, the spirit of courage and constancy, the spirit of love and joy, and of a sound mind. Let us be just in our dealings, conscionable in our callings, merciful, courteous. Let us so comprehend the glorious state to come, that we may be willing to be dissolved and to be with CHRIST. LORD grant that in the midst of a dark world, we may see the brightness of thy Heavenly Kingdom, and in this weak tabernacle of small continuance, we may know the dwelling place, which we shall have for ever in the resurrection of the just. Thou that hast the issues of death in thy hand, I beseech thee in mercy set before mine eyes always the remembrance of thy judgement seat, and my last end, whereby I may be daily stirred up to consider in what great danger I stand through the horrible punishments due unto my sins. Set before us the shortness of our own life, the vanity of all things we enjoy, the excellent weight of glory prepared for all those that love thee, the plagues of the wicked, that great account we must make at our death, that great and terrible day, that having these things in our sight we may not put our hands to any iniquity. O LORD at this time go out with the Armies of thy Saints, and that fight thy battles in the whole Christian world. Pardon we pray thee and pass by all their and our sins: Help us to repent, to renew covenant with thee, and to fear before thee, that they may more cheerfully, courageously and successively defend their righteous cause. But infatuate we beseech thee the counsels, and strike faintness into the heart of all them, that lift their hearts or swords against the kingdom of Jesus Christ. And now find out and call to account the blasphemies, idolatries, cruelties and insolences of thine and our adversaries, and all the blood of the Martyrs of JESUS CHRIST which they have spilt as water upon the ground. And if they will not return unto thee, return it now O LORD GOD of recompenses into their bosoms in fury and in jealousy. Make them like a wheel, etc. Psal. 83. 13. Thou hast promised ever to help thy people in the needful time of trouble, even now LORD is the season for thy succour. And therefore we pray thee for JESUS CHRIST his sake to stir up thyself like a man of war against all those boisterous and railing Rabsakees, that band and combine themselves to put out the glory of Israel's, or any of thine anointed. And give us LORD in the mean time pitiful, compassionate and fellow-feeling hearts over the woeful calamities and miseries of thy people in these parts, that we may pour out our hearts more fervently unto thee, and give thee no rest until for thine own names sake thou become glorious in giving deliverance and victory unto thy poor humble servants, that trust in thee alone, and call upon thy name. O LORD of Hosts, GOD of Israel, which dwellest between the Cherubims, thou art very GOD alone over all the kingdoms of the earth, thou hast made the Heavens and the Earth, Incline thine ears O LORD and hear, Open thine eyes O LORD and see the blasphemies and bloody desolations which thine and our enemies have cruelly brought upon thine own people. O LORD put on the garments of thy just indignation for clothing. O LORD tread down our enemies in thy wrath, and make them drunken in thine indignation, and bring down their strength to the earth. O LORD we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. Rise up O LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee, flee before thee. Return O LORD to the many thousands of Israel, Numb. 10. 35. Let thy people eat up the Nations their enemies, and bruise their bones, and shoot them through with their arrows, Numb. 24. 8. That in our songs of praise and solemn thanks giving hereafter thy whole Church may joyfully sing and say, It was not our own arm or our own sword, O Lord God of Hosts, that did save us, but thy right hand, and thy holy arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou didst favour them, Psal. 44. 3. O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, deal with us according to thy Name: for our rebellions are many, we have sinned against thee. O thou hope and holy one of Israel, the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble, why art thou as a stranger in the Land, as one that passeth by to tarry for a night, etc. jer. 14. 9 See daniel's Prayer, Dan. 9 4. etc. O Lord God destroy not the people of thine inheritance. O Lord our God, thou art God of gods and Lord of lords, a great God, mighty and terrible, which accepteth no persons nor taketh reward, etc. Deut. 10. 17. etc. with all reverence and lowliness of spirit, we acknowledge, adore, and only rely upon thy greatness, thy mighty hand and stretched out arm, Deut. 11. 2. And finally we most humbly thank thee, for that it hath pleased thee to keep us this day, and all the days and times of our lives; beseeching thee that thou wouldst receive us this night into thy holy keeping, that we may have quiet rest, not of bodies alone, but of our bodies also resting from all those things, that are contrary to thy most holy will, attending whilst thou raisest us up in the morning, to do all those things that thou hast appointed us. Grant that we laying our bodies down to rest, may be thereby put in mind of our long rest of death: that as we do now lay down our bodies in bed, so we may be thereby admonished, that hereafter they shall be laid down in the grave, to be consumed to dust, earth and ashes, from whence they were taken; that we having this before our eyes may be stirred up in mind warily to walk in this our pilgrimage, not knowing when the time shall be of our departure, but always to be found ready with our lamps of pure faith clearly burning, that we may be accepted to mere the Bridegroom, when our Saviour shall call us to judgement at the last day. LORD we deserve that thou shouldst leave us to the vileness of our own hearts, and to the corruptions we nourish in them, and sith we have so often neglected and abused those good means which thou hast ordained for our comfort and salvation, we even deserve that thou shouldest take them quite from us, or turn them to be curses unto us; we deserve that thou shouldest say to the ignorant, be ignorant still, to the filthy, be filthy still, to the malicious be malicious still, etc. till we have filled up the measure of our iniquiries; so that at length thou mightest have a full stroke at our destruction, etc. The Preachers Prayer. GRant that thy Word may be delivered according to the true meaning of thy Word, as it is left unto us by thy holy Prophets and Apostles, that it may be divided with conscience, wisdom and discretion; with all plainness and evidence, to the capacity of those that are most simple amongst us. And bless we beseech thee our conceptions and memories that we conceive a right use of those things that shall be delivered, and retain them in our minds with full purpose of heart to put them in practice, etc. O LORD be merciful unto us, pardon and forgive us all our sins, our many abuses of thy great benefits and mercies, especially of thy holy Word, pass by we beseech thee our many infirmities and weaknesses. Sanctify unto us at this time our hearing, reading and conferring of thy sacred Word. Bless our conceptions and memories, that we may rightly conceive it, and retain it in our minds with full purpose of heart to practise it in our lives and conversations. Range into order our worldly and wand'ring thoughts, that we may with reverence and attention receive it, meditate of it and lay it close unto our hearts, that so by thy good blessing we may bring forth much and good fruit. A thanksgiving for the Kings return out of Spain, and a prayer for his prosperity. ANd as we are specially and extraordinarily bound at this time, we humbly and heartily thank thee, for the safe and comfortable return of our gracious Prince CHARLES. It hath been from thy great mercy and goodness, that thou hast gone in and out before him, and walked by him in his most dangerous journey, and kept him in all his ways. That thou hast been a brazen wall and fiery pillar about him, both by Land and Sea, and preserved him, from every hurtful snare both of soul and body, and brought'st him with peace and comfort again unto his Father's house. Blessed and bountiful LORD GOD, we heartily praise and magnify, we humbly admire and adore, the length, and breadth and height and depth of thy free grace and love therein to thy Church and Gospel and all that are true of heart. Enlarge our hearts, we pray thee, with all heartiness and truth to bless thy great and holy Name, the fountain of all bliss, the author of all our good, the wellspring of immortality and life wherein we live and move and have our being, both natural, spiritual and eternal. And good LORD go on with that glorious and happy work of blessing him still, so settle and establish the fear of thy great Name and truth of our blessed Religion in his Princely heart, that he may stand therein like Mount Zion, and never be removed. So guide and direct, by thine own merciful hand all those great affairs, which any ways concern him, and with wisdom from the breast of the everlasting counsel of the LORD JESUS, that he may hereafter prove a glorious and renowned Instrument for the advancement of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST that the heavenly lamp of thy blessed truth may shine fair and pure upon us all our days, and afterwards upon our children, and children's children to the world's end, and the coming of JESUS CHRIST the second time. A Prayer for wholesome and seasonable weather. STay thy wrath most gracious Father, we humbly entreat thee in this heavy judgement that is growing upon us by this unseasonable weather. Thou hast richly loaden and crowned the earth with abundance of thy goodness and bounty. Add this mercy we pray thee, to give a convenient season season to gather it in comfortably. We confess and acknowledge before thee, we far rather deserve that thou shouldst rain down fire and brimstone upon our heads for our many horrible sins, that great one the contempt of thy Word, which makes us worse than Sodomites, then that thou shouldest answer us in this our desire. But we beseech thee in mercy make us first sensible of thy just displeasure, to be humbled to the heart root, to part from all our evil ways, and to seek thy face and favour extraordinarily, and then return unto us in thy wont compassion and love. In visitation of the sick. WE confess unto thee, merciful LORD GOD, that out of the consideration of our own many pollutions and imperfections, and the glorious purity of thy holy nature, we find and feel ourselves most unworthy, and very fearful to speak unto thy Majesty, either for ourselves or others: yet because it hath pleased thee to give us a commandment and charge to perform this duty of praying one for another, and having a gracious promise annexed of prevailing with thee, if our prayers be faithful and fervent. We are bold here upon the knees of our souls, with all the instancy and fervency our poor dull hearts can possibly to entreat thy favour and mercy, for thy servant our dear Christian Brother that lies here amongst us upon his bed of sickness under thy visiting hand. Oh blessed LORD, we humbly beseech thee for thy CHRIST his sake, thy holy Names sake, thy infinite mercy's sake, thy covenant sake to look down from Heaven upon him with the eye and affection of tenderheartedness & love▪ Let the loving countenance and cheerful face of JESUS CHRIST shine comfortably upon him, let the powerful presence of thy sanctifying spirit possess his heart wholly with all the graces of salvation, and blessings of Heaven, let the word of thy grace put quickening life and sanctifying power into his soul, that it may be raised from earth and sin to rest and peace in the bosom of thy compassions. Deal with him, we pray thee, as thou usest to deal with those whom thou fashions and frames for the joys and pleasures of the life to come. Sanctify O LORD unto him this present sickness, let it by thy blessings upon it break and plow up his heart sound and thoroughly to search and to try his ways, that so out of the abundance of his feeling, he may pour out a most plentiful and sincere confession of his sins before thee, and groans and sighs and desires unutterable for pardon and remission of them all in the blood of thy Son. Let it we pray thee beget and bring forth in him those blessed effects and happy ends, which in such cases thou art wont to work upon the souls of holy men and women. Let him upon this occasion be truly humbled under thy mighty hand, with sight of his own vileness, frailty and sinful miseries, that from thence may spring in him an unfeigned and longing desire after CHRIST, and comforts of salvation. Let him shake off all carnal security, dependence or confidence upon the arm of flesh, or upon any glory and vanity in this life. Let his repentance upon this occasion be performed unto thee with more sincerity, universality and thorownesse then ever heretofore. A Prayer when any draws near unto death. O Merciful LORD GOD, upon the knees of our souls, and from the ground and bottom of our hearts we humbly beseech thee, that wherein soever Satan hath any ways blinded him, or his own heart deceived him, or how far soever the image of CHRIST hath been defaced and decayed in him. All his omissions of good duties, all his defects and wants in faith, repentance, prayer, obedience, etc. or whatsoever, I say we most humbly beseech thee to forgive and pardon them all for the passions sake of thine only Son. Whatsoever at any time since he had his being, he hath either thought, or said, or done amiss, do it away dear LORD, as though it had never been, and drown it for ever in the bottomless sea of thine own mercy. Thou hast promised by thy Prophet Isa. 44. 22. that thou wilt put away the transgressions of thy people like a cloud, and their sins as a mist. Now we pray thee let the inflamed heat of thy everlasting love shed thorough the bloody wounds of thy Son, and shining through the Son of righteousness upon his soul, disperse and dissolve into nothing all his iniquities, transgressions and sins. Thou hast promised by thy Prophet Micah 7. 19 That thou wilt cast them all into the bottom of the Sea. Now blessed LORD GOD, we pray thee, as that mighty host of Pharaoh sunk into the red Sea like a stone, so that neither Son of man, nor Sun of Heaven ever saw their faces any more; so let all his sins be swallowed up for ever in the red sea of CHRIST JESUS his blood, that they never show their faces again to his shame, discomfort or confusion. Thou hast told us with thine own mouth, that thou inhabitest eternity, and dwells in the high and holy place, and yet with him also, that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to give life to them that are of a contrite heart; we humbly entreat thee for CHRIST JESUS his sake, that thou wouldst make good this promise to this thy servant, to the utmost sweetness and comfort thereof. O blessed LORD GOD, let thy glorious presence shine into his heart with all those sweet refresh, with which thou art wont to fill those happy souls which depart in thy favour and at peace with thee. Let the precious deservings and saving bloodshed of CHRIST JESUS appear fresh unto the eye of his faith: And let the blessed Angel ministering Spirits to thy chosen, at thy appointed time carry his soul with peace and comfort into the bosom of thy glory. O LORD he is now going the way of all flesh, and his habitation is removing from him like a Shepherd's tent. Help now LORD in this time of need. Comfort him, we beseech thee, with all the strength of Heaven. Thou hast within the rich treasury of thy mercy, thine own tender hearted bowels of compassions, the unvaluable blood shed of thy dear Son, the unutterable comforts of thy good Spirit, the precious promises of life, and all the joys of Heaven, and he hath a poor soul that hungers and thirsts and longs for thy mercy and favour, before all the world. O LORD our GOD we humbly pray thee crown that soul of his with them all. Let thine own omnipotent hand encompass him, let the strong arm of the Son of GOD mightily protect him from all infernal power, let the Spirit of all comfort raise in his heart those heavenly raptures and sweet exultations of spirit, which are wont to fill the souls of them which are ready to lay hold upon a crown of life, let thy blessed Angels at thine own time, carry his soul into the bosom of Abraham, there to reign with thee in rest, and joy thorough all eternity. A Prayer in time of Plague. O LORD our GOD, remember us we pray thee in mercy concerning that heavy and sore judgement of the Plague of Pestilence that fearfully walketh in darkness, and wasteth at noon day, which thy just wrath hath kindled in the chief City of this Kingdom. We pray thee, good Father, to bless us with care and wisdom to meet thee now at first with truly remorseful and repentant hearts, both for our own personal sins, and the crying abominations of the times: Let us seek thee with fervency and truth in days of humiliation and fasting, and cry mightily unto thee that so turning all unto thee with unfeigned repentance and sincere resolution to amend, thou mayst in mercy heal our Kingdom, and turn thine indignation away from us. A Prayer in time of Plague. MOst gracious GOD, sith by thy good providence we are met together at this time solemely to humble ourselves, and afflict our souls in thy glorious presence, and before thy pure eye, we humbly beseech thee to give unto every one of us spiritual ability, and the saving assistance of thy Holy Spirit, that we may all do it unfeignedly, fruitfully, effectually, in the name of JESUS CHRIST. O Most mighty, and blessed LORD GOD, our ever loving Father in JESUS CHRIST. We poor wretches, thy unworthiest servants, do here humbly prostrate ourselves, our souls and bodies before thy Throne of grace, acknowledging from our hearts, that we are the vilest of all Thy Creatures, by reason of our manifold, and heinous sins, we are defiled and polluted in every power and part both of body and soul, to the very heart root, and from the beginning of our being, we laid at first a bloody foundation with Adam in Paradise, which utterly undid all mankind, and had our hands in that horrible rebellion, which brought all mischiefs and miseries, all sin and sorrow upon all the sons and daughters of Adam from the Creation to the end of the world, yea and all those Hellish woes and tortures which shall lie upon damned souls everlastingly. O LORD strike our hearts with remorse for This sin, of which we take so little notice, that we may be humbled for it, all the days of our life; We came into this world very sinks of all impurity, concupiscence, and filth, we brought with us understandings stark blind in all heavenly things; wills stubborn, froward, rebellious to every good word and work: Memory sinful and defiled: hard and stony hearts, raging and bedlam passions, earthly and sensual thoughts and imaginations, dead and guilty consciences; eyes full of Adultery, wantonness, and wanderings, ear open to all rotten and ribald talk, tongues set on fire by hell, hands full of iniquity, feet ready to carry us to all manner of villainy, and vanity: even bodies and souls engrafted into the cursed communion of the Devil, and wicked spirits, by reason of that original corruption, and crookedness which we drew from the loins of our sinful Parents. And this hereditary mass of natural filth, lurked in our natures like venom and poison, which made us odious and abominable in thy sight before we were able to sin: when we had power to serve the Devil, it broke out upon us into as many fearful transgressions and abominable lusts, as could possibly proceed from so empoisoned a fountain. And since that time, good Lord thou knowest we have borne ourselves like Traitors and rebels against thy holy Majesty: we have actually transgressed all thy blessed Laws and Commandments, every manner of way, in thought, word, and deed: fearfully wounding our consciences, grieving thy good spirit, and treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath. O Lord we have grievously sinned against Thee, by contempt of thy Word, The crying sin of this place: by Atheism, ignorance, profaneness, unbelief, distrust of thy providence, carnal security, pride, hypocrisy; By fearelissnesse, and forgetfulness of thy great Majesty, Love of this world, and putting from us the evil day: by impatiency, discontent, inward Idolatry in preferring some Creature before the mighty LORD of Heaven and Earth: By the gross neglect, or wicked abuse of all the parts and kind of thy Divine Worship: Precious and powerful are those heavenly Ordinances of thine. Thy Word preached or read, prayer, meditation, conference, vows, fasting, use of good books, good company and the like, some of those have been utterly neglected by us, others quite marred by formality and sloth. We have highly dishonoured thy Majesty, by taking thy great name in vain: in want of due esteem, and an holy use of thy Titles, Attributes, Ordinances, Creatures, Works of justice and mercy abroad in the world. We have fearfully polluted thy Sabbaths, and profaned all thy Ordinances upon those blessed days. And as we have thus wickedly neglected thy Worship and Service in the first place, so we have been justly given over to bear ourselves wretchedly, and unworthily towards our brethren: we have behaved ourselves unthankfully to our Superiors: proudly to our Equals, unmercifully to our Inferiors. Though it may be we have kept our hand from the gross act of murder: yet LORD thou knowst our tongues have been swords, and our hearts full of blood. We have been defiled with all manner of abominable lusts in our inward parts. Our noble spirits that can never die, have been basely chained down to the earth; and kept in a wicked and dunghill slavery, and bondage to the world and worldly things. In our tongues we have been guilty of a world of wickedness. But above all, our hearts have been restless fountains of all ill: innumerable litters, and swarms of vain, vile, filthy Thoughts, affections, and desires have continually bred in them; very thorough-faires have they been for Satan's impure suggestions, to walk up and down in: in regard of malicious thoughts, very slaughter-houses; in regard of unclean lusts, very stews, and brothel-houses; in regard of the heat of boiling concupiscence, very hothouses, and as the Prophet Host 7. 4. speaks, like a bakers Oven. And LORD our GOD, these are but the heads of our sins: The branches, streams, and particulars are infinite, able to sink us into the bottom of ten thousand hells: And that which makes our sins a great deal more sinful, we have wretchedly and stubbornly committed them against many means of sanctification; against the ministry of thy Word; against many Sermons and gracious invitations; against the motions of thy Spirit, the checks of our conscience, the light of our knowledge; against our vows, and promises, Thy many fatherly corrections, great mercies, and miraculous patience. Good LORD we beseech thee to open our eyes, that we may see the length, and breadth, the height and depth of this our woeful misery: The least of all our sins without repentance may justly bring upon us all manner of plagues and judgements in this world; despair and horror upon our beds of death, and everlasting misery and torment in the world to come. What height of horror then, and depth of hell do all our fearful pollutions, and provocations all our life long deserve at thine hands? Now good LORD our GOD help us, and for the blood of CHRIST give unto every one of us before thee this day, true, and saving repentance, unfeigned godly sorrow for them all. Let them all now come into our minds, and be represented to the eye of our conscience, as so many fiery Scorpions, out of which, except we take as it were the stings, by turning from them, while it is called to day; they will sting hereafter with everlasting horror. Let us look upon them, as upon so many foul fiends, (sin made the glorious Angels damned spirits) how foul then do they make us, who are sons and daughters of Adam: Let us behold them as so many foul and bloody instruments of CHRIST his death, and cruel cutthroats to our own souls, etc. Let us cast our eye also upon thy pure eye, and infinite indignation against sin: by considering how in thy fierce wrath thou threwest down so many glorious Creatures from Heaven. How thou cast Adam and Eve for eating the forbidden fruit out of Paradise, drownedst the whole world, Cursedst Sodom and Gomorrah as it were with hellish flame upon earth into ashes, cast off thine own people who had been so dear unto thee: puts sometimes a guilty enraged conscience even into an hell above ground, and hast created and provided the never dying worm, and unquenchable fire, even all the torments in hell, for impenitent sinners. O LORD let these considerations, of the foulness of our sins, and the fearfulness of the curse due thereunto; but above all the beholding of JESUS CHRIST, dying and bleeding upon the cross; make every one of our hearts to break and burst and bleed within us for them all: That we may heartily, and abundantly mourn over him whom we have pierced with them. And then most merciful Father we humbly beseech thee be graciously pleased to open upon us the blessed fountain for sin and for uncleanness, even the blood of that Immaculate Lamb JESUS CHRIST the holy and the Righteous: Break thine own sweet Name which is to forgive iniquity, transgression and sin, as a sweet perfume upon our broken hearts, and let our poor souls cast themselves for ever, with a lively and fruitful faith into the arms of JESUS CHRIST for everlasting safety, and for ever cleave to all the promises in thy blessed Book, as to the surest Rock, and let the soundness of the Truth of this our cleaving unto Christ, be hereafter testified, and manifested, by an hearty abandoning of all sin; by all the works of piety, justice, mercy, and truth, by a sincere respect to all thy Commandments, by a fruitful partaking of all thy Holy Ordinances, by a spiritual performance of all Christian Duties, by a constant growing in all heavenly graces; and comfortable going on in the path that is called Holy unto our dying Day. And LORD our GOD, we being thus sincerely humbled, truly comforted and reconciled unto thee in the face of Christ; we humbly beseech thee to enable us by thy might, to cry mightily unto thee for pardon, and reformation of the sins of this Kingdom, which are many and heinous, and have provoked thee many a year; and to prevail with Thee in Christ's Name, for favour, and mercy upon all our dear brethren and sisters that are now groaning under thy visiting hand. Good LORD we beseech thee upon this occasion, and blessed opportunity strike through the heart of every one in this land with a true remorse, and godly sorrow, both for his own personal sins, and all the crying abominations of the time: That so we all turning unto thee with unfeigned repentance, and sincere resolution to amend, thou mayest in mercy command thine Angel to cease from striking, heal our land and turn thine indignation away from us. It is a heavy judgement, and horrible sickness, which devours now and eats up thy people in our chief City: And is fearfully scattered in many places abroad: It is called thine hand, thy sword, the stroke of thine Angel, the snare of the Fowler, the noisome Pestilence, the terror by night, the arrow that flieth by day, the destruction that wasteth by noonday, and walketh in the darkness. O Lord our God, let us be humbled proportionably to the extraordinary terror of thy heavy hand. Thou Lord art acquainted with the anguish of all hearts, with the griefs, and groans, the necessities, and wants of all distressed ones. And all those poor souls that are still afflicted under thy mighty hand, with the grievous Pestilence in any part of this Kingdom▪ lie in a most rueful, comfortless, and desolate state, ordinarily they are destitute of all outward comforts; they want the Physicians both of soul and body, the presence, and comforts of their friends, neighbours, and all those who are dearest unto them. They are vexed with the rage of a horrible disease, assaulted with the fearful sight of all their sins, the pangs of death, and terror of thy dreadful Tribunal, we humbly beseech thee most merciful Lord, to ease, comfort, succour, and relieve them all, far above that which we can either think, or speak in their behalf. Especially Holy Father, we pray thee bless every one of them, with a right, and holy use of this thine heavy hand upon them, give them saving sorrow, and true repentance, the blood of thy Son, pardon of all their sins, persuasion of thy love, peace of conscience, patience to endure their great extremities; and a full recompense of all their outward desolations, with the sweet, and inward consolations of thy blessed Spirit. And so sanctify good LORD this sore judgement to the whole Kingdom, that we may all come from under thy visiting hand, as gold out of the furnace, refined from the dross of our corruptions, and filth of sin, and so fitted and sanctified for the more sincere and glorious service of thy great Majesty unto our dying day. O LORD our GOD, thou beholdest now from Heaven, what hearts we bring now into thy glorious presence, how full of deadness, earthly-mindedness, listlessness, and unfitness to perform any holy duty with heavenly minds and spiritual affections, we pray thee to stir them up, and quicken them by thy Holy Spirit, that they may be ever feeling, and fruitful in the use of all the Ordinances, give every one of us spiritual ability, and help from Heaven, to go through it with life, and power effectually and pleasingly to thy great Majesty in the name of CHRIST. An other Prayer for confession of sin. O Eternal GOD, great and fearful, strong and mighty, yet merciful, and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness, and truth: keeping mercy for thousand, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin: we poor wretches, vilest creatures do here humbly cast down ourselves, at the foot of thy great and glorious Majesty, acknowledging from our hearts, that we are most unworthy to come into thy presence, or to call upon thy dreadful, and Holy Name. For thou art a GOD of infinite Majesty, and glory, and dwellest in light that no man can attain unto, and we are vile worms, dust, and ashes, dwelling in houses of flesh, and Tabernacles of clay, wherein we can do nothing but sin. Thou art a consuming fire, and we are even as stubble before thee, ready to be devoured by thy fierce wrath, if thou shouldest deal with us, as we have deserved. Thou art a GOD of pure eyes, and canst not behold iniquity, and we are encompassed, and laden with all manner of pollutions and sinfulness. Beside that bloody rebellion with Adam in Paradise, and cursed Leprosy of Original sin, which hath universally corrupted all the faculties▪ and powers of body and soul, filling them with all Hellish poison, confusion and proneness to ill, The whole world hath been worse for us, since we came into it, There is nothing in Heaven or in Earth, but so far as in us lay, we have polluted, wronged, dishonoured and abused it one way or other. 1. We have villainously struck at the Apple of thy pure eye; Holy Father, many and many a time, with filthy thoughts, abominable lusts, and fearful provocations, we have pressed thy mercies, even as a cart is pressed which is full of sheaves, we have shamefully abused the riches of thy goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, leading us to repentance. 2. We have dishonoured thy dear Son, by despising him in his Ministry, neglecting his many gracious invitations, persecuting him in his members, and shedding his blood in the Sacrament. 3. We have grieved thy good Spirit, by putting back his holy motions, or smothering them by worldliness, lusts, and earthly delights. 4. We have vexed thy blessed Angels, so much as in us lies, besides many other ways, even in this house of thine, with unreverence, drowsiness, sleepiness, and the like, where they are beholding with delight the mysteries revealed in the Gospel. 5. We have woefully abused all thy creatures, they should have ministered to us continual matter of heavenly meditation upon thy greatness, and goodness, power, and providence, etc. but our earthly minds have made no such holy use of them, but we have covetously and sensually abused them to our own ends, and carnal contentments. 6. Even this Kingdom, gracious Father, wherein we have been borne, and bread, and enjoyed many good things, hath been much worse for us; For we have had our hands LORD thou knowest in pulling down upon us, this horrible sickness of the plague of Pestilence, and other judgements, both temporal, and spiritual: and without true, and timely repentance, are likely enough to hasten the destroying sword, and bosom of destruction to make an end of us. 7. We have abused all thy fatherly corrections, and chastisements laid upon us in love, and for our good, they should have brought forth in us the peaceable and glorious fruits of Righteousness, but they have rather begot murmuring, impatiency, and discontentment. 8. We have abused thy mercies, which have been heaped abundantly upon us above measure, and without number, even to increase our security, and presumption and forgetfulness of the evil day. 9 We have abused the most gracious, and glorious day of visitation that ever any people enjoyed upon earth: passing over it very unprofitably, like sons, and daughters of confusion, not gathering any such stock and store of grace, against our ending hour as we might plentifully have done. 10. We have abused all thy blessed Ordinances, those heavenly conduits of all spiritual blessings, grace, and comfort: By our unpreparedness before, irreverence in the use of them, fruitlessness, and want of practice afterward. 11. We have wretchedly abused our own bodies, and souls, by abandoning them to the service of Satan, and making all our members instruments of unrighteousness to sin. Fearfully were they infected with Original sin at first, but we have made them much more sinful by our actual transgressions ever since; we have added a great deal of folly in respect of the mystery of CHRIST: every way LORD thou knowest we are become exceeding sinful. We humbly entreat thee in the name of the LORD JESUS to illighten our minds, and open our eyes, to see the length, and breadth, the height, and depth, of this our sinful misery, for which thou mightest justly bring upon us all the curses in thy book, and all the torments in hell, and in the mean time plague us with giving us over to more hardness of heart, blindness of mind, deadness of conscience, slavery under our lusts, a reprobate sense, and to be finally sealed up with the spirit of slumber against the day of vengeance, which are far worse than all the plagues of Egypt. 1. Thou mightest Holy Father even thine own self for our many dishonours, and disobedience against thee draw that sword against us, that would eat flesh and drink blood: suffer that wrath to be kindled in thy bosom against us, which would burn unto the bottom of Hell: come against us as a Bear robbed of her whelps, and rend the call of our hearts, and tear us in pieces like a Lion when there is none to help. 2. Thine own dear Son might for ever deny us his precious blood, to wash away the least stain from our sinful souls. 3. Thy Holy Spirit might never more put any motion into our hearts. 4. Thy blessed Angels might take no more charge over us, or be ministering spirits unto us for our good, but leave us as a prey to that roaring Lion, and his damned Angels. 5. All the Creatures might come justly armed against us, with their several stings and rage to make an end of us, for rebelling against thee their Creator. 6. This Kingdom wherein we live, might justly fall into the mouth of some horrible confusion, and we enwrapped in the miseries and desolations thereof. 7. All crosses, afflictions, and thine angry visitations upon us, might be unto us the very beginnings of Hellish pains. 8. Thy many mercies unto us which should lead us unto repentance, might only serve to far us against the day of slaughter. 9 The day of our gracious visitation might end, and the Sun set upon the Prophets. 10. All thy blessed Ordinances might be unto us the savour of death unto death. 11. Our bodies and souls might be most justly cast into the bottom of Hell, there to be tormented with the damned for ever and ever. O LORD our GOD, we humbly beseech thee for the LORD JESUS his sake, let a serious consideration of this our sinfulness and cursedness break our stony hearts into pieces, make them burst and bleed within us, and good LORD our GOD, we being thus sincerely humbled, let us get faster hold upon the LORD JESUS, with a sound and fruitful faith then heretofore; by a steadfast looking upon him, and all his sufferings, and satisfactions, from his coming from thy bosom until his returning unto thy right hand again: by survaying all the promises of of life sealed with his blood: by cleaving to his sweetest name: which is to forgive iniquity, transgression and sin: and resting ourselves with a thankful, and joyful acknowledgement upon that blessed mystery of his free grace, which reacheth from everlasting to everlasting, etc. A Thanksgiving. MOst mighty and most glorious Lord God of Heaven and Earth, our light and life, our Sun and shield: the strength of our hearts, and our portion forever. Thou art the Author of all our good, the fountain of all our bliss, the wellspring of immortality and life, wherein we live, and move, and have our being, even our natural, spiritual, and eternal being. And therefore to thy great and glorious Majesty, we render from the bottom of our hearts, all possible praise, and thanksgiving, for all those glorious mercies, and richest favours which thou from time to time, hast abundantly and plentifully vouchsafed unto us most rebellious, unthankful, and undeserving wretches. We thank thee for the wellhead, and first fountain of them all, thy love towards us, and of all our good every way, even the good pleasure of thine own good will, thy free grace, and that mercy that reacheth from everlasting to everlasting. We thank thee for putting us into this world in the best, and blessed part and time thereof. We might have been borne, and lived in the time of the flood, and so been drowned and damned, or within the compass of that almost four thousand years between the Creation and the coming of CHRIST, out of the partition wall, and so have had no means or ordinary possibility of salvation. But have lived, and died in cursed Paganism, and Heathenish Idolatry; we might have lived in that dark and damned midnight, and have been choked with the doctrine of devils: we might have lived at this time of the world, but amongst Turks, Pagans, Infidels, where we should never have heard savingly of JESUS CHRIST: It's thy infinite mercy we have been borne, and bread, and brought up in this happy time of the world, and blessed corner of the Earth, this enlightened Goshan, where we have enjoyed or might have enjoyed, the glorious Gospel of our blessed GOD with such purity, power, and peace. We thank thee blessed GOD for making us reasonable Creatures, capable of grace and immortality. Thou mightest have let us lie for ever in that abhorred state of being nothing, and we should never have dishonoured thee: Thou mightest have made us of those Angels that are become wicked spirits, and then we had been irrecoverably lost: Thou mightest have made us Toads, or Tigers, vermin, or any vild thing: and we should never have proved such Traitors, and rebels against thee as we have been. O LORD, we praise thee, that thou hast made us of thy noblest Creatures, and given us understandings like the Angels of GOD, so that if we be not cursedly cruel to our own souls, they may be saved everlastingly by the means that we enjoy. We bless thee Holy Father, for thy Fatherly care of us, being yet in our mother's womb, wonderfully, and fearfully made: For that miraculous mercy in bringing us into this world, and giving us leave to see this light. For thy gracious watching over us while we hung upon our mother's breasts, since that time for thy merciful continuance to us of our life, health, liberty, outward means, the use of our wits, limbs, senses; for all the good we have had by good yoake-fellowes, good Parents, good children, good servants, good neighbours, good governor's, or any of thy good creatures, for every step we have made upon this Earth, every bit of bread we have put into our mouths, for every draught of air we have drawn into these frail bodies, and blessings more than heart can think, or tongue tell, and which we can neither possibly remember or express. Above all, we of this place are bound to praise thy goodness most merciful GOD, for that most incomparable Jewel, that ever this world had, or sons of men enjoyed, the Ministry of the Word, and means of salvation, the discovery of the mystery of CHRIST, and revelation of all thy blessed counsels. By the power whereof so many amongst us, as have truly tasted how gracious and glorious thou art in CHRIST, do bless, magnify, and admire, the bottomless depth, and infinite height of thy free grace, for our happy conversion from Satan to the living GOD, for our change from nature to grace, a greater and more glorious work then the Creation of the world, wherein thou hast improved thine own infinite mercy, the unvaluable merit of thy Son, and the mighty work of the HOLY GHOST, to make us of limbs of the devil members of CHRIST, O blessed be that happy time, that ever we were so new borne. We thank thee for pardoning all our sins, the least of which would have damned us everlastingly: for renewing upon our souls the blessed image of the LORD JESUS, the least glimpse whereof is infinitely more worth than the whole world. We thank thee for the LORD JESUS, and every drop of his precious blood, and all other sweetness we find in him; for thy good Spirit, and his gracious presence and residence in our souls; for thy blessed self, and all the sweet Communion we have with thy holy Majesty; for the prayers of thy children, Communion of Saints and the Intercession of JESUS CHRIST. We thank thee heartily for any power or conquest thou givest us at any time over our sins; for all our ability to do thee any service, in any part or kind of thy worship; for all those afflictions and temptations which thou hast sanctified for our spiritual good; for all the sweet and heavenly dews of spiritual joy, which thou hast at any time shed into any of our hearts, from the throne of grace by the influence of thy holy Spirit. Blessed GOD, we thank thee infinitely for those glorious mansions of rest, for our everlasting blessings and peace purchased for us, with the blood of CHRIST: for every moment of eternity in the highest Heavens; where we shall fully and for ever enjoy pleasures without end and past imagination. O blessed Joys! O blessed Eternity! O ever-blessed GOD! Furthermore gracious Father, we heartily praise thee for all those public favours and blessings, which in great mercy thou hast from time to time vouchsafed unto this Kingdom, wherein we have had a large and comfortable part. We thank thee good Father for the happy deliverance of this Kingdom from the fiery and bloody times of Queen Mary; for raising up Queen Elizabeth, who raised Religion as it were by a miracle from the dead: for all her miraculous deliverances from the cruel conspiracies of the bloody Papists, especially that in 88 For all her blessed days, wherein so many Holy Saints were sent to Heaven. We thank thee merciful GOD, for delivering us from the rage and blood of that day so long looked for by the Papists, at Queen Elizabeth's death; for the quiet and happy succession of King james of blessed memory, and all the peace and prosperity, and freedom from Popery, and the destroying sword, especially the Powder-plot. We thank thee, Father, most heartily, for the gracious settling of King CHARLES in the Royal Throne, for his life and safety, and the happy days we enjoy under his blessed reign: and that thou hast put into his royal heart to give us this blessed liberty, and glorious opportunity, thus to humble ourselves, and afflict our souls in public before thy glorious Majesty. We humbly entreat thee in the name of CHRIST let every one of us receive at thy bountiful hands grace and power to do it unfeignedly, effectually, and savingly. For that purpose let thy blessings fall abundantly from Heaven upon every soul here present, by the Ministry of thy Word, settle fast we pray thee by the finger of thy Holy Spirit in our memories, judgement, affections, hearts and consciences, all those points of Holy Truth with which we have been acquainted with this day, that by thy merciful blessing they may prove thy arm and power to every one of us for our salvation, for the conversion of those who are yet uncalled, and the setting forward of those that are already thine, in the ways of life, all holy conversation, and nearer communion with thy blessed Majesty. At last we cannot but reflect with compassionare hearts upon the grievous miseries and bleeding sorrows of all our brethren and sisters afflicted with the plague of Pestilence. Thou art a pitiful GOD, full of tenderness, melt, and compassions; thou art the Father of mercies, and GOD of all comforts; now we humbly entreat thee for thy dear Son's sake, for thy infinite mercy's sake, for thy holy names sake, of all thy loves unto the LORD JESUS, and that with all the earnestness and fervency our poor dull hearts can possibly: that thou wouldst be pleased to cast down thy compassionate eye upon them all, stay the hand of thy destroying Angel, spare them good LORD, destroy not the people of thine inheritance, put up we pray thee thy arrows into thy quiver, and thy sword into the sheath, now at the joint supplications of all thy dear children who are in this Kingdom, who are even now wrestling with thee with all fervency of spirit, let our poor prayers, and all theirs, even now meeting at the throne of grace, be mightily strengthened and tendered unto thee by the intercession of the LORD JESUS, and pull down speedily upon us this mercy and gracious deliverance, that we may praise thee for evermore. Lastly blessed LORD we humbly beseech thee to pardon in mercy all those corruptions, infirmities, failings, defects and imperfections which have been mingled with these holy duties, sprinkle all our services, sacrifices and persons with the blood of that immaculate Lamb JESUS CHRIST, the holy and the Righteous: accept them and us graciously in him in whom thou art well pleased, in whom thy soul doth infinitely delight. And so good Father we put ourselves under the wings of thy gracious providence, for our safety and preservation, and our souls into the hands of the Holy Ghost for our further Sanctification, and final salvation in the name of JESUS CHRIST, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, even to thee holiest Father, to thee dearest Saviour, to thee sweetest Spirit, be ascribed eternity, infiniteness, and everlastingness of glory and praise world without end. The Author's private Prayer. O My good and merciful LORD GOD, most holy and dear Father in JESUS CHRIST, I the vilest of all thy creatures and the worst that ever thou madest, by reason of mine own horrible sins, do here come unto thee upon the bended knees of my bleeding soul to entreat thee and beg at thy hands with all the instancy and fervency my poor, dull, cold heart can possibly for pardon, grace and mercy, for favour, compassion and abundant forgiveness. O LORD my GOD, thou knowest me full well, and thoroughly, even to the bottom of my heart and beginning of my being: for besides that I came into this world loaden with an heavy burden and confused Babel of crookedness and corruption, in every part both of soul and body: thou knowest what a cursed confluence of all manner of pollutions, filthiness, uncleanness, strange abomination, abominable lusts, and every villainous corruption that is wont to spring out of our empoisoned nature, made my poor soul a very sink and Sodom before I was converted. Reckon up here unto GOD particulars, out of abundance of feeling, with a plentiful and sincere confession, and then go on. Thus O LORD thou knowest, when thou very mercifully at the first didst call and knock at my heart by the Ministry of thy Word, with what stubbornness, reluctancy and delays I withstood the work of thy blessed Spirit for the salvation of my own poor soul. How loath I was to open the eyes of my understanding to let in the heavenly light of that holy truth, which only could make me gracious here and glorious in thy Kingdom hereafter. And when thou hadst something conquered the hardness of my heart, so that in some measure I saw the hatefulness of my sin, and felt the horror of thy wrath for them. O LORD thou knowest I did not so grieve, sorrow and take on, as so great and grievous a sinner ought to have done, I did not mourn for them as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo, I was not sorry for them as one is sorry for his first borne. I was not thrown down into the dust, and into the place of Dragons, and into that depth of humiliation which the villainy and variety of my many most horrible transgressions, far as much as the sins of the vilest wretch that ever lived upon earth, required at my hands. Nay, and when after the sense and acknowledgement of my vile and damnable estate, I saw the blood and merits of my blessed Redeemer to be the only means to save me from out of hell, I did not feel in myself that hunger and thirst, that panting and longing, those groans, supplications and strong cries for that sovereign and saving Plaster to heal my wounded soul, as mine own misery and the excellency of my CHRIST should have moved me unto. And when at length it pleased thee upon thy own free mercy to offer unto my sorrowful and sinful soul thy dear Son, and all his precious sufferings, my unbelieving and naughty heart did not embrace, and lay hold upon him with that fastness and faithfulness as the certainty of thy promises, the truth and sweetness of thy mercy most plentifully revealed in thy Word do straight enjoin me. Thus LORD even every step of my passage out of nature into Grace, out of corruption into Christianity, and the snares of the devil into the kingdom of Christ, was, as thou knowest, fearfully hindered with the hardness of my own corrupt heart, and foully polluted with the lusts and rebellions of my sinful nature. Nay, and that which grieves me the most, and should justly make my heart even to bleed within me, since I gave my name unto religion, came into the communion of Saints, and entered the ways of new obedience, I have been dragged back by the cruel policy of Satan, and the accustomed yeeldingnesse of my sensual dispositions into some vile and hateful abominations of the days of my vanity, and time of unregeneration: and also overtaken with some new known scandalous sins, to the grieving of thy good Spirit, the grievous wounding of my conscience, and the disgrace of my profession. I have been very slack and slow, and faint-hearted in promoting thy glory, furthering good causes and performing holy duties. I have been very dull and cold, cowardly and formal in all the ways of godliness, and my Christian warfare, in respect of many Christians, who have not near been so great sinners before they were converted, or received the thousand part of those favours from thee, as I have done. I have been too heavy, heartless and uncomfortable in my profession, conferences, godly exercises and practices of grace; I have not so rejoiced, as I ought, in all the good things which thou hast done for me, I have not walked so cheerfully towards a crown of life, as formerly towards the damnation of hell. Nay, LORD, and even in those things, wherein I should have the greatest comfort, when I examine my naughty and deceitful heart, I find nothing but confusion of face. Even my prayers, hearing and reading the Word, receiving the Sacrament, meditations, conferences, etc. are so mingled with temptations, worldly thoughts, by-respects, deadness and drowsiness of spirit, so marred with privy pride, and secret hypocrisy, that I cannot remember them without grief of heart; neither dare I think upon them without prayer for the pardon of their imperfections. I find great matter of humiliation in the best of them, and I know thou mightest there also find much matter of damnation, if thou shouldest deal with me as I have deserved. O LORD my GOD, this is my state, nay and indeed a thousand times worse and more woeful yet then I or the tongue of an Angel can make it. And I have nothing in the world to say for myself, I have none to go unto either in Heaven or in Earth, but only to entreat my blessed Redeemer to speak unto thee in my behalf, to make intercession for me with his glorious merits and precious bloodshed: and to flee unto those melting bowels of thy Fatherly compassions and tenderheartedness, with which thou art wont to meet and fall upon the neck of every humbled, sorrowful and brokenhearted sinner. I do therefore beseech thee, merciful LORD, upon the bowed knees of my sin-grieved heart to pardon and put away all my many horrible, heinous and abominable sins in the precious blood of thine own dear Son. It is only the precious blood of that spotless Lamb which hath power and force to turn the deepest stain of scarlet and crimson sins into the whiteness of snow & wool. And there was never poor, sinful wretch had more need of the multitude of thy mercies, and abundance of that saving blood to do away the multitude of my sins, and to wash & purge and rinze my filthy and polluted soul. I pray thee therefore for Christ Jesus his sake, for thy holy names sake, for thine infinite mercy's sake, and for thine own Covenants sake, to make good unto me the true sweetness, & utmost comfort of all those gracious promises of life, which ere flowed from thy free mercy, through the Passion of thy Son upon any poor soul, who sought thee with truth of heart, & truly loved the glory of thy name. I strangely deceive mine own heart if I do not hunger and thirst for thy favour and pleased countenance more than for all the treasures of the earth, & the glory of the whole world Make mine heart I pray thee, as thou wouldst have it, and then be a Sun & shield unto it, and crown it with all the comforts of Heaven, as thou hast promised: then seal unto it for ever the sure mercies of David, & the salvations of the life to come. And I beseech thee also, to be so loving and merciful to my longing spirit, so tender-hearted and kind to my trembling heart, that I may feel in my conscience the sprinkling of the blood of thy Son, for the appeasing of it, & that my poor soul may sensibly know what great things thou hast done for it, and that thou art reconciled unto it for ever in Christ Jesus. Above all things fill my heart with the joyful feeling of thy mercies in the pardon of my sins▪ that so my quieted soul may sweetly sleep, and solace itself everlastingly in that peace which passeth all understanding, and in the bosom of thy compassions. And for the time to come, I pray thee, to help me more and more to renew & increase my repentance, to better & enlarge my obedience: and put to thine own holy hand to strengthen every grace thou hast given me. O Lord my God, I could never yet get near that hand & hatred over my sins, as I have infinitely desired. I beseech thee now at length let me feel thy special comfortable power mightily assisting me in this holy business. The sins of my youth have been most hateful, execrable and abominable, both to God and man, nay and I have been guilty of many horrible villainies, which have been only known to thy All-seeing eye and mine own corrupt conscience. I pray thee blessed Lord, for thy Christ his sake, to work in my heart godly sorrow, true loathing, sound repentance and humiliation for them all, in some good measure answerable and proportionable to their heighnousnesse and excess. Oh grant me that happiness, that I may look back upon all those fowl pollutions, and sinful vanities of my unregenerate time without either sensual delight, or slavish horror; even with a sincere hatred and heavy mourning. Let me see them without any despairful fear, being assured they are done away with the blood of thy Son, as though they had never been: & without any secret delight, lest I renew and multiply their guilt & grievousness upon my poor soul, which they have too fearfully wounded already. And Lord I pray thee also, put quickening life, power and feeling into my heart and affections in the performance of every holy duty, which is the very heart and soul of a pleasing sacrifice and service unto thee. Increase in me an holy fear, reverence & respect to all thy Commandments. Cause and continue in me a sincere, universal, and constant obedience unto them all, & that not from any slavish fear, private end or by-respect, but for conscience sake, a soule-like fear of thee and love of thy glory. And if at any time, as it is ordinary with God's children, it shall please thee to exercise me with any cross, disgrace, slander, discountenance, loss of goods, disease of body, terror of soul, or the like, I pray thee ever sweeten & sanctify them unto me by thy blessing: & grant that I may ever obediently with all peace of heart, & patience of spirit submit to thy will & wisdom therein; being fully assured that to me, which am in Christ, the sting, curse and poison of them is most certainly pulled out by the Passion of thy Son. And resting ever upon thy sweet & precious promises, that thou having given me Christ Jesus, will never deny me any truly needful and and comfortable thing, while the world stands. And that all things, even the rage of Satan, the malice of men, the miseries of this life, nay even the sins of my soul, in an holy sense, by thy blessings shall turn unto my everlasting good. Add I pray thee, daily more and more strength and life, and new degrees unto all these graces, which it hath pleased thee in some measure to plant in my soul of thy own free mercy, and for the mediation of▪ thy Son. Increase my knowledge in the great mystery of grace, my reliance and trust in thee, as one most powerful, merciful and true; my hope and patient expectation of thy presence, and assistance in all things that are to come; my love of thee, thy Word, thy children and all things that belong unto thee; my zeal & courage for thy glory and truth & good causes and good men; fear of thy great name; humbleness and lowliness of mind. The Spirit and power of Prayer; Patience and contentedness in all troubles and trials, etc. or what other holy virtue thou hast in great mercy vouchsafed unto me. Grant I pray thee and give me grace to employ and improove them all to the utmost & for the best advantage in procuring thee glory, good unto thy Church and comfort unto mine own soul. Bless I pray thee and be merciful to all creatures, and to the whole world. Draw, if it be thy blessed pleasure Turks, Infidels, Jews, to the light and acknowledgement of thy saving truth, and the salvation of their souls. Bless our King specially and principally, and all his Dominions. Root out of them we pray thee, all ignorance, profaneness, popery, pride, oppressions and all the works of the devil. Purge we humbly and earnestly beseech thee this Church and Kingdom wherein we live, and that mightily and speedily from all disorders, sedition, faction & corruptions, which any way dishonour thy Majesty, vex thy children or hinder a free and glorious passage of the Gospel of thy Son. Bless the people committed to my charge, my own Family, my friends, my goods, house, cattle and all things that any ways belong unto me. Remember I beseech thee with special love and tenderheartedness all thy dear children whersoever they be, especially those who desire my prayers for them, and have made the troubles of their souls known unto me. I pray thee for thy Christ his sake, let them far the better for the poor prayers of thy weak and unworthy servant. Gracious Lord, I praise and magnify from the ground and bottom of my heart, thy glorious name, and the sweetness of thy mercy for that golden chain of comfortable providence, which thy merciful hand hath linked together for my good ever since I was borne. Thou gavest me a most loving and kind Father, a very skilful and learned Schoolmaster, worthy and ingenuous education, etc. Thou preservedst me mightily and almost miraculously from maiming or sudden death. Thou followedst me bountifully with thy favours at the University; and didst infinitely above all hope and expectation, raise up variety of means from time to time for my maintenance there, etc. Thou brought'st me at length fairly, easily and uncorruptly into this place and pastoral charge I now enjoy. Thou hast given me out of thine own free, immediate mercy a dear and loving Wife, incomparably the fittest for me that could have been found upon the face of the whole earth. But above all, the comforts which thou hast brought unto my poor soul by my Book have been most unspeakable and glorious. Blessed for ever be thy glorious name therefore, etc. In a word, I am verily persuaded there was never wretch upon earth, that received so many mercies, favours and comforts from thee, and returned so little thankfulness, service and obedience unto thee. O Lord my God, forgive I pray thee the infinite disproportion of thine immeasurable bountifulness to me, and my most weak imperfect and sinful obedience & service unto thee. O forgive it, forgive it for Christ Jesus his sake, etc. FINIS.