DEVOTIONS, Viz. 

1 A Good Woman's  
2 The humble Man's   PRAYER.  
Praeceptis ducimur,  
Exemplis trahimur.  
Precepts in Gods most holy Law  
Do us direct; Examples draw.  
By R.A. D.L.  
LONDON, Printed by T.M. for Abel Roper, at the sign of the Sun in Fleetstreet. 1655.   


— Pulchrior intus  T. Cross fecit   

To the Right Honourable, THE Lady ANNE PIERPOINT Elder Daughter To the Lord Marquis of DORCHESTER.  
MADAM,  
THough your Ladyship be already in the high road of Piety and Virtue, so that none need to show you the way; yet these following Examples of the best of Women, and drawn out of the best Records, will not, I presume, prove altogether superfluous; for they may confirm and encourage You in the same road: But he who would counsel your Ladyship hereunto, must needs commend when he counselleth, and by his Exhortations, approve of your actions; so I rest,  
Madam, Your Ladyship's most devoted servant ROBERT AYLETT.   


The Good Woman's Prayer.  
PART. I.  

REfresh me Lord in this World's Wilderness,  
And with a cloud of witnesses me lead, 
Ex. 13.21   
Like fiery Pillars light to holiness: 
Heb. 12.1   
Be these divine examples that I read;  
And grant that I may practise them in word and deed.   
CONTENTS.  
¹ Wisdom, ² Repentance, ³ Knowledge, ⁴ Prophecy, ⁵ Faith, ⁶ Love, ⁷ Attention, ⁸ Hope, ⁹ Obedience, 10 Praise, 11 Prayer, 12 Offerings, 13 Hospitality, Labour of 14 Spirit, and Body, 15 Patience, 16 Affection Conjugal, Due 17 Reverence To Rulers, and to Parents, 18 Womanhood, 19 Courage, 20 good life, a seasoned 21 speech, 22 Silence, Heavn's 23 blessing, sight of days, both long & 24 good By these Contents the Text is understood.  

GRant me the gracious ³ Knowledge of the Queen  
Of 
a 1 Ki. 10.1  Sheba, that I may employ the same,  
As was 
b Act. 18.26  Priscillas' on Apollos seen,  
As 
c 2 Tim. 1.5 and 3.15  Eunice, 
d Pro. 31.1  Bethsheba, Lois, and the Dame  
St. John for children's government 
e 2 John. 4  Elect doth name.   

The needful ¹ Wisdom into me infuse  
Of 
f 2 Sa. 14.2  Theco'as' woman, 
g Est. 6.13  Zerech, 
h 1 Sa. 25.3  Abigael,  
And hers that made for 
i 2 Sa. 20.16  Abel's town a truce.  
In part thy ⁴ Mysteries to me reveal  
As with 
k Act. 21.9  four Virgins, 
l 2 Ki. 24.14  Hulda and 
m Judg. 4.4  Deborah thou didst deal.   


n 2 Sat. 21.10  Rispa's ² Repentance do in me beget,  
Of 
o Mar. 16.9  Mary Magdalene, and of the 
p Luk. 7.38  Saint  
That at the Pharisees house washed thy feet.  
Me with the ⁸ Hope of 
q Jud. 13.23  Manoahs' Wife acquaint,  
And 
r Goe 30.24  Rachel's that in bearing Joseph was not faint.   

The ⁵ Faith of 
s Heb 11.11  Sarah into me inspire,  

t Heb. 11.31  Rahab and 
u Exod. 2.2 et. 6.20  Jacabed, the 
w Lu. 1.45  Mother-Maid,  

x Joh. 11.22 et. 27  Martha's: 
y Mat. 15 28  Hers that did only crumbs desire,  
Of 
z Mat. 9.22  Her that had the bloody issue stayed,  
And 
* Joh. 4.27  Hers that at the Well for living water prayed.   

Breath into me to true Religion ⁶ Love,  
As was in 
a Gen. 31.19  Rachel, 
b Ruth. 1.10 and 2.12  Ruth, and 
c 1 Sa. 4, 21  Phinees Bride;  
Unto thy Word my due ⁷ Attention move,  
As thou didst 
d Ac. 16.14  Lydiu's by the river side,  
And 
e Luk 10.41  Mary's, whose good choice and part was not denied.   

Make me ⁹ Obey thy will with all submission,  
Like 
f 1 Ki. 17.15  Ely's Hostess, and in me create  

g Goe 13 17  Leah's and 
h 1 Sa. 1.15  Hannah's spirit of ¹¹ Petition;  
With 
i Ex. 15.26  Miriam let me thy ¹⁰ Praise relate,  
And 
k Luk. 2.36  Anna, that lived four score years without a mate.   

O grant that I the Church may stand in stead  
By 
l Jud. 2.25  Rahab's, 
m Gen. 18.6  Sarah's ¹³ Hospitality,  
Or 
n 2 Sa. 17.19  Hers that o'er the Welford ground corn did spread,  
Or 
o 2 Ki. 4.10  Hers that lodged Elisha carefully,  
Or 
p Ro. 16.2  Phebe's, 
q Luk. 10.14  Martha's, Mary's liberality.   

Thy 
r Ex. 35.25  Tabernacle (Lord) let me adorn  
With ¹² Gifts, as 
s Luke. 8.3  Susan and great Chusa's Wife,  
The 
t Mar. 12.42  Widow, whose two mites thou didst not scorn,  
And 
u Act. 9.36  Dorcas that in all good works was rife,  
And 
w 2 King. 11.3.  She that Joash gave his first seven years of life.   

My spiritual ¹⁴ Labours (Lord) grant the success  
Of 
x Rom. 16 7. and 12  Junia, Persis, Triphose, and Triphene,  
That thy elected Vessels me may bless;  
Grant that my bodily dangers may be seen,  
As 
y Exo. 1.17  Egypt's Midwives, 
z Jud. 4.21  Jahel great, 
* Est. 4.16  Ashuerus Queen.   

Towards my Husband settle thou my ¹⁶ Mind,  
As was 
a Gen. 24 65.  Rebecca's, modest, reverend,  
Loving as 
b Goe 31.16  Rachel, 
c Jos. 15.18  Achsah, and as kind  
As 
d 1 Sam. 25 19  Michal, 
e 1 Kin. 1.4  Abishag, and 
f Ps. 45.10  She that went  
From Pharaohs royal Court, to live in Solomon's tent.   

As 
g Goe 29.25  Leah 22 Silent, and as ¹⁵ Patient  
As churlish Nabals understanding 
h 1 Sa. 25.26  Wife;  
And as the 
i 2 Ki. 4.22  Shunamite obedient;  
Unto my ¹⁷ Parents, to appease all strife,  
Like 
k jud. 11.36  Jephta's virgin-Daughter may I yield my life.   

As in 
l Goe 35.8  Rebecca's nurse, so in me frame  
A nurse-like ¹⁸ mind towards my children dear,  
As 
m Exo. 2.5  Hers that Moses reared: Elimeleches 
n Rut. 4.16  Dame,  
Discreet as isaack's 
o Goe 25.28 et 24.19  Wife let me appear,  
Whose pains with 
p Rut. 2.16  gleaning Ruth, give me the grace to bear.   

Endue me with the ¹⁹ Courage to maintain  
My Families right like fair 
q Nu. 28.4  Zelopiads breed;  
With Sarah wicked servants to constrain  
T' amend, or else out of mine 
r Goe 21.10  house to weed  
Profane, proud Hagar, with her scoffing Saracens seed   

Grant me 
s Luk. 1.6  Elizabeth's 20 unreproved Life,  
The seasoned ²¹ Speech of 
t 2 Kin. 5.3  Naaman's wife & maid  

u Gen. 3.10 and 4.25  Eve's 22 Happiness; who for lost Abel's life  
Was with the birth of Holy Seth repaid,  
My ²⁴ days like 
w Goe 23.1  Sarahs'! worth the numbering may be said.   

Apochriphal are the Stories, not the Life  
Of Valiant Judith and Susanna chaste;  

x 2 Mac. 7.1  Mother of martyrs seven, young Tobi's wife.  
Two 
y 2 Macca. 6.10  women with their babes down headlong cast  
God make me not the least, although of these the last.  
But since these stars have had their slower motions  
Preserve me, from their errors and commotions.   

A Good Woman's Prayer.  
CONTENTS.  
¹ Enticement, ² Error, Means ³ unjust, ⁴ Temptation. ⁵ Baling, ⁶ Contempt, ⁷ Impatience, Worldly ⁸ Vanity, ⁹ Dissension, 10 Envy, 11 Witchcraft, 12 smprecation, 13 Contention, 14 Gadding, 15 Mocking, 16 Stoutness, 17 Cruelty 18 Lying, 19 Idolatry, 20 Lust, from these good Lord deliver me.  

KEep me that I like 
a Gen. 3.6 2 Cor. 11.3  Eve do not ¹ entice  
Nor be enticed. Me from her ² Errors guard  
That did Job as an hypocrite despise,  
Judging his 
b Job. 2.9  misery his just reward.  
And 
c Goe 18.12  Sarahs' that with laughter did thy word regard.   

Means ³ indirect permit me not to use,  
Good either to myself for to attain,  
As 
d Goe 29.23 and 38.14  Leah, Thamar did for Issues choose,  
Or as 
e Goe 27.13  Rebecca did; for others gain,  

f Joshu. 2.5  Rahab, and 
g 2 Sa. 17.19  she that in the Well did Spies maintain   

Rachol's 
h Gen. 30.1  impatience at thy providence.  
And 
i Num. 12.1  Miriam's ¹⁰ Envy (Lord) in me restrain,  

k Phil. 4.2  Evodias and Syntiches ⁹ Difference,  

l 1 Sa. 18.6  Their ⁵ Babbling that saul's envious wrath did gain  
When in then Song they sang, David's ten thousand slain.   

With 
m Ex. 4.25  Zipporah, O let me not despise  
Religion's wholesome just severity,  
Nor count (with 
n 2 Sam. 26 20.  Micho●) David's zeal unwise;  

o Goe 35.22  Bilhahs ⁴ semptation free me from, and 
p 2 Sa. 11.3  She  
That left Vria's house, in David's Court to be.   

Me by the sight of brazen Serpents heal,  
From stinging 
q Nu. 21.6  Serpents fiery 'xamples keep,  
And from 
r 1 Sa. 28.7  her ¹¹ Witcheraft that ra●●d Samuel:  
From Jesabels' 
s 2 Ki. 9 ●●  first and 
t Apo, 2.22  second, with whom sleep  
Full many Prindes of the earth in darkness deep   

The ⁸ Worldly hope put from me of 
u Goe 19.16  Lot's Wife,  
Of 
w Jud. 5.28  Sisera's mother, 
x Ru●h. 1.14  Orpah's feigned pretence,  

y Gen. 4.23  Lamech and 
z Goe 26.35  Esau's Wives ¹³ Contentious life,  

a Gen. 27.9  Hagars, 
b 1 Sam. 1.6  Peninnah's spirits ¹⁵ virulence,  
And cursed Micha's Mothers ¹² cursing violence. 
c Jud. 17.2    

Me from the ¹⁴ Wand'ring 
d Gen. 34.1  Dina's humour shield,  
Lot's 
e Goe 19.32 et. 39.32.  daughters ²⁰ Lust, & Pharaohs Stewards Wife,  

f Nu. 25.1 15.  Women of Moab, Cozbi by Phineehs killed;  
The Levites 
g jud. 19.2  Leman that did cause such strife,  
And 
h 2 Ki. 9.22  Hers by Jehu punished with loss of life.   

Keep me from 
i 1 Ki. 9.22  Athalia's ¹⁷ Cruelty,  
And 
k 2 Ki. 11.1  Hers that would have had the child divided;  

l Mar. 6.24  Herodias and her daughter's melody;  
From 
m Est. 1.12  Vashties 16 stoutness, and theirs that provided  
To make their 
n jud. 14.16  Husbands mighty Samsons strength derided.   

Lord free me from 
o Acts. 5.8  Sapphira's spiritual ¹⁸ Lie,  
From 
p 1 Ki. 11.4  Solomon's idolatrous glozing 
† Wives.  Loves;  
And from 
q 1 Ki. 15.3  Maacah's base ¹⁹ Idolatry,  
Deposed by Asa for her Idol Groves;  
And those 
r Ezek. 8.14  She- Tammuz Priests Ezekiel reproves.   

The smallest grain of Virtue of the best  
Plant in my heart; And frame in me a mind  
Always to make a conscience of the least  
Infirmity which in the weak I find,  
And from presumptuous sins let me be quite confined.     

The Humble Man's Prayer. PART. II.  

GOd, Second Person in the Trinity,  
Whose being is Eternal Vncreate;  
Who in the days of thy humility  
Didst here converse below in mean estate;  
Make me to shun these sins, and thee to imitate.   
CONTENTS.  
¹ Self-love, God's ² nature ³ worship, ⁴ power affecting, His ⁵ Justice and his ⁶ Promises despising; ⁷ Commandments, and just ⁸ reproofs neglecting; His ⁹ Prophets and his prophecies misprising; Inward and outward 10 Pride of life enticing, Setting my heart on 11 Envy, 12 Pomp, 13 Promotions, My heart in to 14 deep knowledge exercising, 15 Advancement, that may hinder my devotions, 16 Dissimulation, all 17 ambitious Commotions.  

O Lord the God of Love, which dost not love  
Self-love ¹, where by man doth himself misprise,  
Created in thine image from above;  
Humble me, lest I seek to equalise  
Thy Nature's ² Dignity, as 
a Judt. 6.  Angels did devise.   

Or like 
b Dan. 3.7  Nabuchadnezzar, for to gain  
The ³ Worship that to thee is only due,  
As 
c Hest. 3.2  Haman and 
d Dan. 6.7  Darius, 
e Act. 12.13  Herod's train;  
Or of thy mighty ⁴ Power to make false show,  
As 
f 2 Tim. 3.8  James, Jambres, 
g Esa. 14.14  Belshazzer and 
h Act. 8.10  Magus crew.   

Inspire me, lest thy ⁵ Justice I despise  
As King 
i 2 Ki. 6.33  Jehoram, 
k 1 Ki. 13.2  Jeroboam durst;  

l Gen. 4.24  Lamech, 
m 2 K. 19.12  Sennacherib: Or thy ⁶ Promise,  
As 
n Goe 25.33  Esau, and young 
o Gen. 21.9  Ishmael accursed;  
Or 
p 2 Kin. 7.2  Prince which in Samarias' gate with press was burst.   

Lest thy ⁷ Commandment I disobey,  
Like 
q Gen. 11.4  Nimrod, 
r Gen. 38.9  Onan, 
s Exod. 5.7  Pharaoh, bloody 
t Goe 46.8  Cain;  
Or due and just ⁸ Reproofs do cast away,  
As 
u 2 Sam. 3.7  Abner when he had with Rispa lain,  
The 
w Lu. 16.14  Pharisees, and 
x joh. 12.5  Judas that hath Christ betrain.   

Neither thy ⁹ Prophets slightly entertain,  
As men of th' old 
a Ma. 24.38  World drowned in the flood;  

b Gen. 9.22  Cham, 
c 1 Ki. 22.26  Ahab, 
d Matth. 27 46.  Pharises, two 
e 2 Kin. 1.9  Captains slain,  
With the devoured Bethels 
f 2 Ki. 2.23  mocking brood,  
King 
g Amo. 7.10  Amaziah, 
h Lu. 23.11  Herod in his scoffing mood.   

Turn me from 
i job. 7.49  Pharisees inward ¹⁰ Pride of life,  
Delighting in the ignorant people's shame;  
Or outward, as 
k jud. 1.7  Adonibezek's knife,  

l 1 Sa. 13.22  Philistims, that made Israel's weapons lame;  

m Ki. 20.25  Benhadad, 
n 1 Sa. 11.2  Nahash, 
o 2 Sa. 10.4  Hanu, 
p 2 Ki. 8. 1●. et. 15.16  Azael, Menahame.   

From 
q Nu. 16.1  Corah's ¹¹ Envying others for ¹² Promotion;  
With 
r jud. 12.4 &. 9.5.  Ephramites, Abimelech, 
s 2 Sa. 20.10  Joab, 
t 1 Sa. 18.9  Saul,  
Setting on ¹³ Pompous vanity my devotion,  
As men of 
u Eze. 6.49  Sodom, 
w 2 Sam. 14 25  Absolom, and all  
The vain superfluous pride in 
x Hest. 1.3  Ahashueros' Hall   

From motions all of Pride do thou me save,  
Even such as thy dear children set on fire;  
As 
y Gen. 3 6  Adam 14 Knowledge only sought to have,  
And 
z 2 Co. 12.7  Paul, who did enjoy his own desire;  
Or 
* Nu. 11.29  Joshua, who for envy did thereof inquire.   

Let not ¹⁵ Advancement (Lord) my heart lift up  
As 
a 2 Sa. 24.1  david's, when he would the people number;  
Or 
b 2 Chr. 32 25.  Ezekiah when God filled his cup;  
As 
c Mat. 20.21  James and John, styled the Sons of Thunder,  
Whose mother did desire to keep th' Apostles under.   

At which the 
d Matth. 20 24  Ten were moved with ¹⁷ Indignation,  
As sons of Jacob, that their brother sold,  
Were moved 
e Act. 7.9  with envy at his divination:  
And 
f Nu. 12.1  Aaron that with Moses sought to scold.  
Me as I am, not worse nor ¹⁶ better let men hold.    
FINIS