Christian Devotion: OR THE Pious Souls Daily Supplication. Containing Prayers and Praises for all Occasions, and for every day of the Week; For Sick-Persons, With Thanksgivings on the same Occasions. For Women in Travail, With Thanksgivings on the same Occasions. For Seamen in dangers, With Thanksgivings on the same Occasions. For The Sacrament, &c. With Thanksgivings on the same Occasions. Illustrated with sundry Sculptures, with Prayers fitted for those Occasions. Together with Bible-Examples of Gods punishments inflicted on great Sinners, with Graces before and after Meat. London, Printed for W. Thackery in Duck-Lane; T. passenger at the Three Bibles and C. passenger at the Seven Stars, on London-Bridge. 1679. The PREFACE. Reader, IT is almost incredible that in a Christian Kingdom, such a Christian duty as Family and Closet-Prayer should need any preface, or arguments to persuade to its practise; yet the Prodigious licentiousness and degeneracy of this age, seems almost to call in question the very first principles of Religion: the practices of bold men make many presume almost to deny a deity; but to such I shall not address myself, but leave them before Gods Tribunal, whose being if they will not believe, his terrors and sharp displeasure they shall undoubtedly feel. My design here is only to tell the honest Christian his duty in a few words. The backwardness of men to pray, argues spiritual danger, and a great unwillingness to be religious; and yet this is a duty Commanded, and commended: it is also an act of the highest grace and honour, that we poor sinful dust and ashes should be admitted to come into the presence of the Eternal God, and lay open our wants and complain of our burdens, and beg support, and succour, and deliverance, and salvation; we have many gracious promises that he will hear our prayers, and he hath appointed his only Son to be our Intercessor at the Throne of Grace for us: Oh infinite condescension of the great God to such worthless worms as we are! Of the great power and virtue of Prayer the holy Scripture gives sundry instances; by Prayer Cities and Kingdoms have been saved from ruin, Prayer hath raised the dead to life again, it hath stopped the violence of fire, shut up the mouths of wild-beasts; it hath made the Sun go back, and the Moon to stand still. What need I say more of this holy fire? This the Scripture saith of those that do not pray, That the Lord will pour out his wrath on the Heathen, and on the families that call not upon his name. Now Christian Reader, this Little Book I present thee as a choice manual for thy daily devotion; here is much in a little, here thou mayst find petitions for all occasions. It was composed on purpose for such who want those natural endowments and qualifications which others are furnished with. I hope thou wilt not carp at it because they are forms. It is not my business here to dispute with those who can or do pray without a form, much less to undervalue the public forms of the Church, but that it may answer the end of the Composing is the daily Prayer of your unworthy Orator, C.P. The Contents. A Morning Prayer for a Family. page. 1 An Evening Prayer for a Family. p. 7. A Prayer and Praise for the Lords-day in the Morning. p. 11 A Prayer and Praise for the Lords-day in the Evening. p. 15 A Prayer for Munday-morning. p. 20 A Prayer for Munday-night. p. 25 A Prayer for Tuesday-morning. p. 30 A Prayer for Tuesday-night. p. 33 A Prayer for Wednesday-morning. p. 38 A Prayer for Wednesday-evening. p. 42 A Morning Prayer for Thursday. p. 45 An Evening Prayer for Thursday. p. 49 A Prayer for Fryday-morning. p. 53 An Evening Prayer for friday. p. 56 A Morning Prayer for Saturday. p. 58 An Evening Prayer for Saturday. p. 61 A Prayer for Seamen in a dangerous Storm. p. 64 A Thanksgiving for Seamen: after a Storm at Sea. p. 67 Pious Meditations on the Birth, Life, Death, Resurrection and Ascension of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. p. 69 A Prayer before the Receiving of the Holy Communion. p. 79 A Thanksgiving after the Receiving of the Holy Communion. p. 81 A Prayer for one that takes any difficult Journey or employment for his good success therein. p. 84 A Prayer in time of War. p. 87 A Prayer for converting grace by a convinced sinner. p. 90 A form of Prayer for a sick sinner who is unprepared to die. p. 94 A Prayer for a woman in time of her Travail. p. 98 A Thanksgiving to be used after safe deliverance. p. 101 Parents Prayer for their Children. p. 103 A Childs Prayer for his Parents. p. 106 A Prayer for the Church of Christ militant here on Earth. p. 108 A Prayer for the King and Royal Family. p. 109 A Prayer for Christmas-day. p. 111 A Prayer for Easter-day. p. 112 A Prayer for Whit-sunday. p. 113 A Prayer for a Widow. p. 115 A Prayer for a Servant. p. 116 A Prayer for a sick person. p. 117 A brief relation of the Gun-powder-treason-plot. p. 119 A Thanksgiving for the fifth day of November, for the happy and miraculous deliverance of this Land, the King and the two other Estates of the Realm, from that horrid bloody Plot by Gunpowder. p. 122 A Prayer for the thirtieth of January, being the day of the Martyrdom of King Charles the first, 1648. p. 124 A Prayer in time of the Pestilence, with an account of the dreadful Plague in 1665. p. 126 A Prayer to be used the second of September, for that lamentable fire of London, in the year 1666. p. 128 A Thanksgiving for the twenty ninth of May, being the day of his Majesties birth and happy return from exile. p. 131 Bible-Examples upon the breakers of the Ten Commandments, how they were punished with death for breach of the same. p. 134, &c. Bible-Examples of Gods severe Justice in punishing of one Sin, p. 149, &c. A Prayer for one troubled in Conscience for his Sins, p. 162 A Prayer for Comfort in time of Trouble, p. 166 A Prayer for Patience in time of Tribulation, p. 169 Graces before and after Meat. p. 172, &c. A Morning Prayer for a Family. O Most Great, most Gracious and most Glorious Lord God, whose all-seeing eye is present in all places, and at all times, but especially there graciously and spiritually where thy name is called upon, though but two or three be gathered together; we sinful worms are met together this morning in the fear of thy Great Name, to offer up this our morning sacrifice, encouraged by thine own command and promise, and the mediation of Jesus Christ. Holy Lord be pleased to cause the fear and dread of thy great Name to fall upon us, and be present with us and President over us. We poor worthless creatures do humbly cast down ourselves before thee to aclowledge thy mercies, to confess our sins, to beg thy grace, and to render thee our praise and service: be pleased by the assistances of thy Spirit to teach us thy Children how to pray, and for what to pray; let thy Spirit make intercession in all our souls; by it let us be enabled to cry Abba Father. We thank and praise thy glorious and holy Name, that we who were born in sin, were not forsaken by thee to live and die in our sin, and that we were not left with the Devils to helpless desperation, but by an all-sufficient Saviour that we are redeemed by his blood and have a free pardon to life, in his Covenant of Grace, to all that accept of him for their Lord and Saviour. For ever blessed be God for his holy Gospel, his holy Spirit, and his holy Example. We thank thee for our peace, liberty, and all our comforts of this life: we thank thee for all our public and private helps towards this and a better life in all the means of our Salvation. But especially that thou hast blessed these means for our good, and hast not given us over to a blind mind, a hard heart, and to the slavery of our perverse wills. How great was that mercy, that not only spared our lives and kept us out of Hell when we were sinning against thee; but at last convinced us of sin and misery, and awakened our sleepy souls unto repentance, and made us know the vanity of this world, and the certainty and glory of the life to come, that we might know thee and seek thee our end and happiness! How great was thy mercy in discovering to us the great mysteries of thy Gospel, and to draw us to thy Son as the way to Thee! But O the ill requital that we have made for all that love! Our original sin hath been too fruitful in our wicked lives. How long did we forget God and our souls, our death, and our everlasting concerns? What strangers were we to the life of Faith? And before the hatred of sin, and love of holiness was minded by us? and since we gave up ourselves to thy holy Covenant, we have often yielded to temptations, loved thee coldly, served thee slothfully, and lived unfruitfully, and made little improvement of thy mercies and of our afflictions, for which thou mightest justly have withdrawn thy Spirit from us, and suffered us to return to our first undone condition. But for Jesus sake charge not upon us the sins of our corrupt nature, or of our lives; of Childhood or riper Age; our sins of omission or commission, of knowledge or of ignorance, of rashness or of negligence. In the name of our Redeemer accept us and pardon us; O give us his Spirit the greatest of all gifts! Let a new nature, a holy life, a living to thee and a dying to sin, with a holy light be our portion: O let not our ignorance and unbelief prevail: let none of this worlds pleasures, riches or honours ever steal our hearts from thee! Let not our fleshly lusts overcome thy Spirit! Govern our affections, thoughts, words and actions, our senses, our appetites and our passions by thy Grace. Deliver us from selfishness, and teach us to love our Neighbours as ourselves, and to wrong no man in our thoughts, or words, or deeds; but to do all the good that we can to the souls and bodies of others. Save us from the hellish sin of Pride, and all the fruits of it; make us loathe ourselves for all our, sins. Make us faithful in all the duties of our relations, in Kingdom, Church and Family, as we are Superiors, Inferiors or Equals; mercifully dispose of our persons, our friends and our affairs. Provide for and protect our bodies, and make us contented with our daily bread, and patient if for our sins we want it. Be merciful to the afflicted, deliver the sick, the poor, the oppressed, and the broken-hearted, as is most for their own and others good, and for thy Glory. Continue thy Gospel, bless the King and all in Authority, with wisdom, holiness and justice; teach them to govern, and us to obey; let the Kingdoms of the world be the Kingdoms of Christ. Great art thou, O Lord, and greatly to be feared, wise art thou, and absolutely to be obeied; good art thou, and unmeasurably to be beloved: For of thee, and through thee, and to thee are all things: to thee be the Glory for ever. Amen. An Evening Prayer for a Private Family. MOST Glorious God, the Creator of all things; the Owner and the Ruler of the World, but especially of thy Church and chosen ones: thy Children redeemed by Jesus Christ thy Son, and regenerated by thy Holy Spirit, have leave to call thee their reconciled Father. O with what wondrows love hast thou loved us, That of Rebells we should be made the Sons of God! Thou hast advanced us that we might be wholly devoted to thee, delightfully to obey thee, and entirely to love thee. O cause both us, and all thine, and all the world, to hallow thy holy name, and to live to thee. And cause us to cast off the tyranny of satan and the flesh, and to submit to the sceptre of thy Son; O perfect the Kingdom of Grace in our souls, and hasten the Kingdom of Glory. Cause men to understand, believe and obey the Gospel of Salvation. And because our being is the subject of our well-being, maintain us in the life which thou hast here given us, until the work of life be finished; give us health of mind and body, protection and supply of all our wants, as shall best fit us for our duty; and make us contented with our daily bread, and patient if we want it. Save us from the love of Riches, Honours and Pleasures of this world, and the Pride, Idleness and Sensuality which they cherish. And cause us to serve thy Providence by our diligent labours, and to serve thee faithfully with all that thou givest us. And through the merits of thy Son forgive us all our sins original and actual, from our birth to this hour; our sins of heart, of word and dead; our secret and our open sins, our sins of negligence and ignorance, but especially our sins against knowledge and Conscience; let not our sin find us out to ruin us, but let us find out our sin truly to repent of it and forsake it. O punish us not with the loss of thy Grace! Take not thy Holy Spirit from us, and deny us not his assistance and holy operations. Seal to us by thy Spirit the pardon of our sins, give us the joy of thy favour and salvation. And let thy love and mercy to us, fill us with thankfulness towards thee, and love and mercy to our Brethren and our Enemies. Suffer us not to cast ourselves wilfully into Temptations, but carefully to avoid them, and resolutely to resist and conquer what we cannot avoid; O mortify those inward sins and lusts, and most dangerous temptations. Suffer us not be tempted by Satan or the word, or tried by thy Judgements, above the strength which thy Grace shall give us. Save us from a fearless confidence in our own strength: and let us not dally with the snare, nor taste the bait, nor play with the fire of thy wrath; but cause us to fear and to depart from evil; lest before we be ware we be entangled and overcome and wounded with our guilt and thy wrath. And as we crave all this from thee, we humbly tender our praises with our future service to thee. Thou art the King of all the world, and thy Kingdom is everlasting. Blessed are all thy faithful Subjects, the whole creation proclaiming thy perfection: In Heaven the blessed see thy glory, and the glory of our Redeemer; of thee, and through thee, and to thee are all things: To thee be glory for ever. Amen. A Prayer and Praise for the Lords-day. GLorious Jehovah, who art infinitely above the praise of men and Angels; much more of us sinful worms: All that we can do, can add nothing unto thy blessedness, but thy love and mercy hath advanced us to this honour, and made our own felicity our duty: It is good for us to draw near to thee! And lest the vanities and business of this world should hinder us, thou hast appointed us this thy special day, that our composed minds might be taken up, with thy love and praise, and might attend upon thee without distraction, and might have a fore-tast of our Everlasting Rest. O be thou this day to thy servants souls, the spirit of Love, of Life, of Light and of Power! That the Heavenly life may quicken us to this holy and heavenly work; O let the sacrifice of our Persons and of our Praises, which we humbly offer according to thy command, be such as are fit for thine acceptance, through Jesus Christ. Thou and thou alone art God; Immortal, Invisible, Eternal and Infinite in Being and Perfections! from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Thou art the Almighty and nothing is too hard for thee, thou broughtest all things out of nothing! Thou gavest Being to the glorious Angels, the Heavens were made by thee, thou madest the Sun and Stars. Thou madest the Earth, the Land and Sea, and all the Creatures that dwell therein: All fowl and fishes, beasts and plants. The air and clouds, the thunder and lightning, the rain and snow, the winds and earth-quakes, the marvelous motions of the sea, are all thy great unsearchable works. The smallest worm or flower doth far surpass our knowledge: but Man thou hast made the noblest piece of this lower world: Thou breathedst into him the breath of life, thou madest him little lower than the Angels, thou madest him in thine own Image, thou becamest a Father to him, being his owner, his ruler and his chiefest good; Thou deniest thy mercy to none but the obstinate and final rejecters of it. Thou givest eternal life to them who were the sons of Death; and this life is in thy Son: for he is able to the uttermost to save all that come unto thee by him. O with what love hast thou loved poor rebellious sinners, that they should be converted and be made the sons of God, yea heirs of Heaven! Thou hast built thy Church upon the Rock, the blessed Mediator; That the power of Hell may not prevail against it. He is the Lord both of dead and living. How glorious art thou, O Lord, in holiness! we bless thy name, O our great Creator! we bless thy name, our gracious Redeemer! we bless thy name most holy spirit! Return, O Lord, deliver our souls! Kill us not till our sins be killed! End not this life till thou hast prepared us for a better! Cut not off my Time till I am prepared for eternity. Have mercy upon undone souls, now glorify thy grace in Jesus Christ who is an all-sufficient Saviour, to whom we fly, and on whom we cast our miserable souls. Let us by thee be reconciled to the Father, and present us spotless and acceptable to God; whether we live or die we desire to be thine, accept and assure us of the blessings of thy Covenant! and then though we deserve to dwell with Devils, we shall see thy Glory, and be filled with thy love, and with Saints and Angels shall joyfully praise our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier for ever. Amen, Amen. A Prayer and Praise for the Lords-Day-Evening. GLorious Jehovah, while Angels and the spirits of the Just made perfect are praising thee in the presence of thy glory, we have the same most holy God to praise; and though we see thee not, our Head and Saviour doth, and our faith also discerneth thee in the glass of thy holy word and works. Though we are sinners, and unworthy, and cannot touch these holy things, without the marks of our pollution; yet we have a great High-Priest with thee, who was separate from sinners, holy, harmless and undefiled, who appeareth for us, in the merits of his spotless life and sacrifice, by whose hands only we dare presume to present a facifice to the most holy God. This day past thou hast ordained to be a day of holy rest, as a Type and means of that Heavenly Rest with thy triumphant Church, to which we aspire, and for which we hope. Thou didst accept their low praise on earth, before they celebrated thy praise in Glory: Accept ours also by the same Mediator. Glory be to thee, O God, in the highest, on earth peace, good-will towards men: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, who wast, and art, and art to come; eternal without beginning or end; infinitely powerful, wise and good. Of thee, and through thee, and to thee are all things, to thee be glory for evermore. We praise and glorify thee our Lord and owner; for we and all things are thine own. We praise and glorify thee our King and Ruler; for we are thy subjects, and our perfect obedience is thy due. Just are all thy laws and judgements; true and sure is all thy word. We praise and glorify thee our great benefactor; in thee we live and move; and all that we are, or have, or can do, is wholly from thee, the cause of all: and all is for thee; for thou art our end. Delightfully to love thee, is our greatest duty, and our only felicity: for thou art love itself, and infinitely amiable. When we forsook thee, thou didst not utterly forsake us: when we had lost ourselves, and by sin became thine enemies, condemned by thy Law; thy mercy pitied us, and gave us the promise of a R●deemer, who in the fullness of time did assume our nature, fulfilled thy law, and suffered for our sins, and conquering death, did rise again, ascended to Heaven, and is our glorified Head and Intercessor. Him hast thou exalted to be a Prince and Saviour, to give us repentance and Remission of sins. In him thou hast given pardon and justification, reconciliation and adoption by a Covenant of grace, to every penitent Believer. Of enemies, and the Heirs of Death, thou hast made us Sons and Heirs of Life. We are the Brands whom thou hast plucked out of the fire; we are the condemned sinners whom thou hast pardonned! We praise thee, we glorify thee our merciful God, and gracious Redeemer! Our souls have new refuge from thy revenging wrath. Thy promise is sure: Satan, and the world, and death are overcome: our Lord is risen; he is risen, and we shall rise through him. O death where is thy sting, O grave where is thy victory! Our Saviour is ascended to his Father and our Father, to his God and our God, and we shall ascend! To his hands we may commit our departing souls. Our head is glorified, and it is his will and promise that we shall be with him where he is to see his glory! He hath sealed us thereunto by his Holy-Spirit. We were dead in sins, and he hath quickened us: we were dark in ignorance and unbelief, and he hath enlightened us: we were unholy and carnal, sold under sin; and he hath sanctified our wills, and killed our concupiscence. We praise and glorify this spirit of Life, with the Father and the Son from whom he is sent, to be light and life, and love to our dead, and dark, and disaffected souls. We thank thee for thy word and sacred Ordinances; for the comfort of the holy Assemblies, and communion of the Saints, and for the mercy of these thy holy days. Deliver all the Churches from sin, division and oppression. Let thy holy word and worship continue in these Kingdoms, whilst this world endureth. Bless the King and all in Authority, with all that wisdom, justice and holiness, which are needful to his own and his subjects safety, peace and welfare. Let all the Prayers and Praises sent up this day in the name of our Mediator, by him be presented acceptable unto thee; prepare us all for that world of peace, that shall be everlastingly perfect to our joy and to thy Glory, through our Glorified Mediator, who taught us when we pray to say, Our Father, &c. A Prayer for monday morning O Most Great, most Wise and Gracious Lord, we desire through the mediation of our Lord Jesus, to cast down ourselves at the foot-stool of thy grace. Humbly acknowledging our great folly and rebellious provocations that we stand guilty of, having wilfully forgotten thee the God that made us, and the Saviour that redeemed us, and the great business we came into this world for, and the endless glory set before us; whereas had we lived to those high and holy ends for which we were created and redeemed, we might have come to thee with an holy boldness and confidence as thy Children. We aclowledge we have lived as if we had been made for nothing, but to pass a few days in fleshly pleasure, and to pamper our carcases for worms: we have wilfully forgot what it is to be made men and women, who have reason given us to rule our flesh, and to know our God, and to foresee our death, and the state of immortality: But we have made our Reason a servant to our Senses, and have lived too like the Beasts that perish. O the precious time that we have lost, which all the world cannot call back! O the calls of Grace which we have neglected, and the motions and teachings of God which we have resisted! the wonderful love which we unthankfully have rejected, and the manifold mercies which we have abused, and turned into wantonness and sin! How deep is the guilt which we have contracted! And how great are the comforts which we have lost! We might have lived all our times in the love of thee our gracious God; and in the delights of thy holy word and ways; in the daily sweet fore-sight of Heaven, and in the joy of the Holy-Ghost; would we have been ruled by thy righteous and holy Laws. But we have hearkned to the flesh and this deceitful world; and have preferred a short and sinful life, before thy love and endless glory. Ever since we came into the world sin and folly have taken up our time. We are ashamed to look back upon the years which we have spent: and to think of the temptations which we have yielded to! Alas what trifles have enticed us from our God? How little have we had for that holy pleasure which we have lost? Like Esau we have profanely sold our Birthright for one Morsel. To please our fancy, and appetite, and our lust, we have set by all the joys of Heaven! We have unkindly despised the goodness of our Maker; we have slighted the love and grace of our Redeemen! We have resisted thy holy spirit, silenced our own consciences, and grieved thy spirit. Thou knowest our secret sins, which are unknown to men, with all their aggravations they may justly find us out! If we look behind us, we see our sins pursue our souls, as an enemy ready to overtake and devour us! If we look before us, we see thy just and dreadful judgement, and we know that thou wile not acquit the guilty! If we look within us, we see dark defiled hearts; If we look without us, we see a world still offering fresh temptations to deceive us! If we look above us, we see thine offended dreadful Majesty! If we look beneath us, we see the place of endless torment, and the company with which we deserve to suffer! But yet when we look to thine abundant mercy, and to thy Son, and to thy Covenant, we have hope. Thy goodness is equal to thy greatness: Thou are love itself; and thy mercy is over all thy works: O therefore behold us prostrate sinners, which are ashamed to look up towards Heaven, O God be merciful to us sinners. O forgive not only our original sin, but the sins and follies of youth, sins of ignorance and knowledge, of negligence and wilfulness; of omission and commission; against the law of nature, and against the Grace and Gospel of thy Son! for thy abundant mercy, and merit of thy Son. Put thy fear into our hearts that we may never depart from thee: let the world be crucified to us, and we to it, by the across of Christ. Let us neither love it nor the things therein, but having food and raiment, cause us therewith to be content. Keep us from snares and ways of sin, let us never return again to folly, nor forget the Covenant of our God. Prepare us for death and for judgement, that when we come to leave this world, we may be found in Christ, having the righteousness which is of God by faith; prosper thy Gospel and the Kingdom of thy Son, convert sinners, gather us all into unity in Christ, that we may all with perfect love and joy ascribe to thee the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, for ever and ever, Amen. A Prayer for monday night. A Lmighty, All-seeing, most Gracious and most Glorious Lord! Thou art every where present, though thou art revealed in thy Glory to those only that are in Heaven; thy Grace is still at work on Earth, to prepare men for that Glory: Thou madest us not as the Beasts that perish, but with reasonable immortal souls, to know and seek, and serve thee here, and then to live with all the blessed, in the everlasting sight of thy Heavenly Glory, and the pleasures of thy perfect love and praise. But we are ashamed and amazed to think how foolishly and wickedly we have forgotten our God, neglected our souls, and our blessed hopes of Immortality; and have only minded the things of this visible transitory world, and the prosperity and pleasure of this corruptible flesh, which we know must shortly turn to rottenness and dust. Thou gavest us a Law which was both just and good, to guide us in the way to life; and when by sin we had lost ourselves, Thou gavest us a Saviour, even thy eternal word made man, who by his holy life and bitter sufferings reconciled us to thee, who not only purchased salvation for us, but revealed it to us. But O how light have we set by this our Merciful Redeemer! and by all that love which thou hast graciously manifested by him! and how little have we either studied or understood, much less obeied that Covenant of Grace which thou hast made by thim to lost mankind! But, O God, be merciful to us vile miserable undone sinners! Forgive the sins of our natural pravity, and the follies, ignorance and negligence, omissions and commissions of our lives: And give us true repentance for them. O wo to us that ever we were born, if thou forgive not our sins, and make us not holy before this short uncertain life be at an end! We know that all our life is but the time which thy mercy alotteth us to prepare for death. O let us not therefore put off our repentance and preparation to a sick-bed: But now, Lord, as if it were our last and dying words, we earnestly beg thy pardoning& sanctifying grace through the merits and intercession of our Redeemer! O thou that hast pitied and saved so many great and miserable sinners, save us also, that we with them may glorify thee for ever; hadst thou been unwilling to show mercy, thou wouldst not have ransomed us by so precious a price, and still entreat us to be reconciled to thee. We have no cause to distrust thy truth or goodness; but we are afraid lest unbelief, and pride, and hypocrisy, and a worldly fleshly mind should be our ruin. O save us from Satan and this tempting world, but especially from ourselves: teach us to deny all ungodliness and fleshly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present evil world. Let it be our chief daily work to please thee, and to lay up a treasure in Heaven, and to make sure of a blessed life with Christ, and quietly to trust thee with soul and body. Make us faithful in our Callings, and in our duties to one another; cause us and all thine to seek first the hallowing of thy Name, the coming of thy Kingdom and the doing of thy Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven; give us all things necessary to life and godlienss, and let us be therewith content. Forgive us our daily sins, and let thy love and mercy constrain us to love thee above all; and for thy sake to love our Neighbours as ourselves, and in all our dealings, to do justly and mercifully, as we would have others do by us. Keep us from hurtful temptations, from sin and from thy Judgements, and from the malice of our spiritual and corporal enemies: make all our Religion and obediential walking delightful to us; and let our souls delight in the praises of thy Kingdom, Power and Glory, that it may secure and sweeten our labour by day and our rest by night. Keep us in a longing and joyful hope of the Heavenly Glory; and let the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God our Father, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with us, now and for ever, Amen. A Prayer for a Family on Tuesday-Morning. O Eternal and most Gracious Lord God, thou art worthy of all our love, service and obedience. We thy poor unregenerate and unsanctified creatures by nature, humbly prostrate ourselves before thee this morning, to render in and through the Name of our blessed Redeemer, our thankful acknowledgement for all our continued mercies, and for all the good hopes through Grace of the comfortable expectation that we through him have of a future enjoyment of Glory: supply our inward man more and more with renewed strength of Grace, and Heavenly-mindedness; give us the witness of thy Spirit and the Comforts that are promised to all that are thy redeemed ones: let our testimony within be manifested to us by this; that we that know thy name and name thy name, have made it our great design to depart from all iniquity; let it appear that we are begotten again by the seed incorruptible to a lively hope, and a transforming power; let all our old natures pass away, let all become new, and let the sense of this great change cause us to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; enable us daily to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, by the greatest of our care, and above all our gettings to get this witnessed by the daisy exercise of all those graces and duties that are conducible thereunto. Let nothing lie so near our hearts as the sad consideration of the ways and former courses of sin that we then so much delighted in. Oh the sad fruits of those ways of sin, at the Remembrance whereof we desire from our souls to take to ourselves shane, sorrow and confusion of face. For ever praised be our Lord Jesus that we were as brands plucked out of the fire, that our Sun did not set, and our day expire before we were warned and awakened out of our wicked, carnal, earthly, sensual and devilish course; we were running to our everlasting destruction, had not tender love and bowels of mercy prevented us. Blessed be God that we were prevented of our good things as we then thought them; a life of sport and pleasure, and all that this world can afford will prove as it did to Dives, to day enjoyment of all the good that earth can afford, and the next news of him is, he is in Hell tormented and wanting a drop of water. Make us more and more sensible that unsanctified wealth and pleasures leave nothing but a sting behind, and prepare the enjoyers of them only for everlasting wo. Preserve us from all those beastly pleasures that would deprive us of everlasting joys. Give us a serious consideration of our later end; when death comes time is gone, for ever gone, and all the world cannot recall it, and that our great business in this world was to prepare for Heaven, and everlasting happiness: And that it must go with all men in Heaven and Hell, as they have prepared here. Give us a serious consideration of the uncertainty of our lives. Alas how is it with all that are gone before us at their souls appearance in another world? how is it with Conscience? Have we ever thought seriously of the end of our prosperity? Preserve us in thy fear this day and all our dayes, that at the end of our dayes we may enjoy the fruition prepared for all those that love our Lord Jesus in sincerity, Amen. Amen. A Prayer for Tuesday Evening. MOst Holy, Great and Infinitely Glorious Lord God, for ever praised and adored be thy Holy Name, in and through our Lord Jesus, for all thy continued mercies from day to day. O give us serious thoughts of our later end, give us good hope through grace, at our down-lying, of a future Glory; let us not sleep with vain hopes of Heaven and the Glory to come in the other world. Let the great work and business of each day we live, be to make sure for a blessed eternity. Give us to consider the danger of sleeping without hopes of a better life, when this is ended. Let us fear lest we should die and be past hope before the morning. Let us not live negligently or unpreparedly one day more, lest we turn Gods merciful patience and mercy towards us, into presumption against him, to the hardening of our hearts and the delaying of our repentance; give us to consider thy long forbearance, and the danger of our delay, knowing that certainly death will come, and how soon we are altogether uncertain; give us seriously to bethink ourselves, what it is for a soul to take its farewell of this world, and presently to appear in another, and to be judged according to its preparation made in this life; and to take up a place in Heaven or Hell, without any hopes of ever changing. O that we might seriously consider, though death cannot be prevented, damnation may be prevented, and Hell may be prevented, and escaped by fear and care and diligence: let us rather choose to betake ourselves to our duty and avoid sin and danger: is Hell easier, than fear and care to offend? Give us to consider that we must live for ever: and that we may live in Heavenly joys for ever, if in due time we will use the means: let us bethink ourselves for what end God gave us our reason and did difference us from beasts, that it was for us to use by preparing for an endless life. O the folly of all those who have a God to serve, and a soul to save, and a Heaven to enjoy, and a Hell to escape, and a death to prepare for, and that spend this life in worldly wicked vanities that perish in the using, and leave all their chief work undone; O possess us with serious thoughts of the folly and madness of those, that set more by a little meat and drink and beastly pleasure, for a few days, than by an endless Heavenly Glory; that care more for a body that must rot in the earth, than for a never dying soul; that spare no pains to avoid shane, sorrow and sickness, and will do so little to avoid everlasting shane and horror in Hell. Oh give us to consider how sad it is for men to exercise their reason for trifles, and none for their salvation; and are wise in nothing but unprofitable vanities, and cunning to cheat themselves out of all their hopes of Heaven. O our God, let us love thee above all, with the sweetest and highest delight, bring us to Heaven by Grace, save us from this miserable world. Fill us with everlasting hope of Heavenly joys, the only cordial against all our calamities here below; O the reviving hopes of an endless Glory! This is that we live for in the world, we have nothing else can uphold our spirits for one day under all our crosses, but this comfortable fore-thought, that we shall be for ever with the Lord and all his Holy Glorified ones! Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath in him chosen us through faith to so great and glorious an Inheritance prepared for all those that look for his Glorious appearance, even so Amen, come Lord Jesus, come quickly. A Prayer for a Family for Wednesday-Morning. MOst Gracious Lord, the God and Father of our blessed Lord Jesus: O what are we sinful dust and ashes, that we should enjoy so great a privilege, to make our approaches into thy presence, and in the name of our Mediator and Advocate with thee, to pour out our souls, and that with good hope, through grace, to find grace and favour to help in our time of need! Our great request at this address of ours this morning is, that all our scales of ignorance and blindness may fall off, that we may no longer live ignorantly, carelessly or sinfully to provoke thy Glorious Majesty; O give us a clear resolution of our conversion and reconciliation through our Lord Jesus, let us not be always thinking that we stand; strengthen our Faith, that we may be followers of those who through faith and patience inherited the promise: Let repentance to life evidence our truth of Grace, let sanctification witness our hope of salvation, let our death to sin witness our life and interest in our Lord Jesus. O give us to consider that light hath no communion with darkness, persuade us more and more of the impossibility of any unholy person, whilst such, to be forgiven, and saved. Sin is the souls misery, and to pardon a sinner is to deliver him from his misery. O make us sensible that there is no hopes of the salvation of a sinner that continues in his unconverted condition, and that everlasting despair in Hell will be the Portion of all that die unconverted and unsanctified. Convince us of the necessity of regeneration, repentance, conversion and holiness, without which none can be saved. enable us to trust God to be our only everlasting joy, and to be the Law giver and Ruler of our Lives. And to trust Christ to justify us and save us from our sins; and trust the Holy-Ghost to kill our sins, and to illuminate, sanctify and quicken us, and by degrees to make us perfectly holy. O Let us never expect God will save us from Hell and not from sin, or from the guilt of sin and not from the power of sin, or that sinners should keep their sins whilst they live, and then to give them Heaven at death. persuade our souls of the truth of our Repentance, which stands not in our opinion being changed, but it consists in the change of the heart and conversation. O give us that truth of repentance that reforms the worldly mind, as well as open wickedness: kill the love of every sin in us: set our hearts and hopes on Heaven, so that we may now love holiness and seek Gods Kingdom above this world. Keep us from a counterfeit repentance of sorrowing for sin and not amending our lives; or of sorrowing to day and sinning again to morrow. Oh deliver us from ignorance, unbelief and averseness or enmity to God and holiness, from pride, sensuality, worldliness, disobedience and carnal selfishness: O let our hearts submit to the holy Laws and ways of God: let us no longer live in slavery to the Devil, nor spend our time in the world to gratify the flesh. O preserve us from the neglect of our salvation; above all callings enable us to make our Calling and Election sure, through our Lord Jesus who hath loved us and given himself to death for all those that come laden and weary to him, and take up his across and follow him. Now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve you blameless to the coming of his Son and our Redeemer, for whom and to whom be Praise, Honour and everlasting Obedience rendered henceforth and for evermore, Amen, Amen. A Prayer for Wednesday Evening. O Most Great and most Glorious Lord, the alone Preserver and Disposer of all thy works: It is our happiness as well as our duty that at all times we may with freedom in and through the mediation of our Lord Jesus, make our wants known, and seek for grace and mercy to help in time of need: in all our addresses into the presence of thee the Holy God, O let Christ Jesus be precious to us, and let us be of that number to whom he is so; discover to us more and more our interest in him, let that be cleared to us by the work he hath performed in us, enable us to find and feel the power of the new birth, by our new nature, let our faith in him appear by our light received and obedience thereunto, let our deeds be made manifest that they are wrought in God, and that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit, they only mind the things of the spirit, and to be spiritually minded is life and peace. enable us to mortify more and more the deeds of the body by the spirit, and let it appear that we are the sons of God by our being lead by his spirit. Deliver us from the works of the flesh, and fill us with the fruits of the Spirit: enable us more and more to crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts. Let it appear that we are in Christ by the workmanship of the new creature. Let us not deceive ourselves, he that doth righteousness is righteous, and that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. O that the enmity within our own souls against these sacred rules might more affect our hearts to consider how we have forgot our God, neglected our Saviour, despised Heaven, and slighted holiness, and a holy God, and holy Scriptures, and holy persons, that have lost our precious time, and omitted holy duties, whereby we became the worst enemies to our own salvation, for which cause we may justly loathe ourselves, for our sins and our self-ruine; all men might be holy and happy if they would in time apply themselves to it, but most men will not. O let not the world have more of our hearts than Heaven, let us no longer love pleasure more than God: Let us no longer be more weary of holy thoughts, or holy Conference, or Prayer than of our worldly concerns. Deliver us from a proud, worldly, fleshly heart and life, which is the sting, and will give the sinner no rest! and the defiled guilty Conscience, which will never let the soul be quiet! Which hath a life of unpardoned sin to look back upon: a life of sensuality, and ungodliness, of pride, fullness and idleness, abundance of oaths, curses, lies and contempt of God; God hateth all the workers of iniquity, what peace then can there be to such? Give us to consider the shortness of our lives, the preciousness of our souls, the swiftness of time; and what we have lost; how terrible Hell is, and how glorious Heaven, to which Glory bring us by our Lord Jesus, to whom be glory for ever, Amen. A Morning Prayer for Thursday to be used by a Family. GRacious and Most Glorious Lord God, thy Glory is above the Heavens, to thee all Power, Wisdom, Might, Majesty and Dominion belong, enable us thy poor Creatures in all humility to render unto thy blessed self in and through thy Son, our Lord Jesus, all praise, thanksgiving, all honour, and service, and obedience; for all those continued mercies we to this day have received and enjoyed; Oh that thy daily renewed mercies might more and more engage us to higher degrees of obedience, and to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of thy great Name. And that we may continually press forward towards the mark, for the attaining of that high calling of God in Christ Jesus, affect our hearts with our backward carriage towards thee; let us strive to enter in at the straight gate, and account our utmost endeavours too little to answer that undeserved unfathomed love shed abroad in our hearts, by and through our Lord Jesus, and that good hope through Grace of an everlasting habitation in that life to come, of Glory and happiness; deliver us more and more from the power of sin the only plague of the world, and troubler of souls, the great interrupter of our peace. Give us thy blessed Spirit more fully whereby we may be enabled to mind the great work of this life, which is to obey our God, and to save our own souls; let his be first and most minded by us: we know that nothing can be more worth our labour than Heaven, or the fruition of God in Glory. O Lord pardon our slothfulness for doing so little for thee; O make us believe more strongly, and hope for Heaven more confirmedly, and love thee more fervently, and serve thee more faithfully and successfully, and bear the across more patiently; And Oh thou who art our trust and hope, our portion; our first and last, our desire, our all! O leave not any of us to a dead and unbelieving heart, or to a worldly selfish mind, to live and die a stranger to thee our God, and the Heavenly Society, Christ and his Triumphant Church; make us sensible of that sweet and admirable cooperation between the bountiful communications of God, and the holy and constant desires of the soul: and that we are receiving Grace all the while that we are desiring it. Let us improve our reason to know the original and end of all that good we receive, and that we have our tongues for to glorify God, and to speak out his and our Redeemers praise. This is our duty, our honour and our joy. O let us never think it a toil to be praising our blessed Saviour, our glorious God, and the Heavenly joys; we desire still to remember that we are created in Christ Jesus to good works, and redeemed and purified to be zealous of good works. Enable us to adorn our profession with a holy and blameless conversation. We bless thee for feeding and clothing us; for our continued health and strength, for our daily preservation from innumerable dangers, for thy renewed mercies morning after morning; preserve and prosper us in our employments; feed us with food convenient; let us live as ever under thine all-seeing eye, that living continually in thy fear, we may live in thy love, and find at all times thine assistance: in all our ways enable us to give to thy blessed Majesty all the Glory, Honour, Power and Thankful Obedience through our blessed Redeemer, in whose name and words we desire to pray as he himself hath taught us, saying, Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, &c. A Prayer for a Family for Thursday Evening. GLorious and for ever blessed Lord, in the name and in the strength of our Lord Jesus, and by the assistance of his Spirit we desire to offer up this our Evening Sacrifice of praise, acknowledging our unworthiness and unpreparedness to approach so great and Glorious a Majesty; thou knowest our hearts, and how we stand affencted in the performance of this Great duty. shouldst thou take advantage of our miscarriages this day, thou mightest justly asked us that sad question, Wherefore we take thy name and words into our mouths, since we hate to be reformed, to depart from all iniquity? Suffer us, O our God, no longer to resist thy blessed Spirit, or to harden our hearts from thy fear; let our repentance for sin be manifested by our forsaking of all sin, since confession of sin without forsaking of sin shall find no mercy; preserve us from wilful sin and known conviction, give us to consider that Christ will never alter his Terms and change his Law and Gospel to excuse us for not changing our hearts and lives; mind us of our task, of that knowledge; faith, hope, assurance, and patience and comfort that we have yet to get, of the many temptations we have yet to overcome, and the many duties we have yet to perform, and what a great work it is to prepare for immortality. Give us to remember that Satan doth not loiter, and that time stands not still, and that delay is denial. God needs not us but we need him, we would not have him to delay to help us in time of our need! O let us consider that patience will not be abused for ever, and that this is the accepted time, this is the time of Salvation. Let us see that afflictions are not the least of Gods mercies, which our dull and hardened hearts make necessary. O fools that we are, we will not understand without the Rod. Help us to be thankful that we are chastised, knowing that it is the Portion of the dearest of Gods Children: without which chastisement the wicked that are of the seed of the Serpent do escape. Give, O our God, the Spirit of our Lord Jesus to abide with us as an indwelling Principle; sanctify our vital power with spiritual life, strength, activity; our understanding with spiritual light, knowledge and faith, and our will with holy love and willingness. O let the Holy Ghost be our light, life and love. Manifest it to us by a holy life towards God; with a holy light to know and believe God, and a holy love to love God, and his Government and his Children. These things, and all other for this and a better life we humbly beg for the sake of our alone Mediator and Redeemer, who now is sate down on the right hand of his Father and our Father through him, for whom and to whom, with God the Father and the holy Spirit of Grace, be praise, honour and everlasting obedience rendered of all that love our Lord Jesus in sincerity, Amen. A Prayer for a Family for Friday-Morning. O Eternal, most blessed holy Lord, in and for the merits of our Lord Jesus give us admittance and acceptance into thy presence at this time, and let this our morning Sacrifice be offered up from a sensible knowledge of our own wants of fresh supplies from thee the God of all Grace, by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit within us helping our infirmities, and bringing to our remembrance Petitions according to our wants, grant unto us whatsoever we stand in need of, that may make for thy glory, and for our good, for this and a better life; save us by thy grace, let grace prepare us for glory; give us diligence, deliver us from Sodoms sins, idleness and fullness, keep us from slothfulness in business, and give us with fervency of Spirit to serve the Lord. enable us as well to labour for our daily bread, as to pray for it, and that we may rather give than receive: Let the world and all things in it be only the means to help us forward towards the great end we came into it for. O preserve us from presumptuous wilful sin, let our fear to sin be instrumental to preserve us from sin; let us dread the thoughts of joining sin and holiness together, or dividing our heart betwixt God and Mammon; let us account Gods service our perfect freedom; let the pleasures of those sweet experiences in thy service, make us loathe and leave every sinful way; let thy grace and strength appear in our weakness; let the comforts of Faith, and Hope, and Love cause us to cast off all the filthy pleasures of the flesh; magnify thy strength in our weakness, keep us from trusting to our own strength; let us take unto us the whole armor of God, fix us in faith, love and obedience to all thy holy and righteous laws: strengthen our resolutions to obey and serve in the strength of Christ, whose grace is sufficient for the upholding his weak and unable servants. Let us take the offer of Christ, and Holiness, and Heaven, whilst God offers them; but O give us wisdom to see and shun the Devils offer of the pleasures of sin for a moment, and everlasting damnation in the end; help us truly to repent of sin with shane and sorrow, loathe ourselves, and to believe all the Gospel promises, and the love that Christ hath manifested, and the wonderful love of the Father in giving us his Son, and reconciling us to himself▪ help us to live under the helps and consolations of the Holy Ghost, and to live in the hopes and desires of everlasting glory. Now unto God and our Father, be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, Amen. A Prayer for a Family for Fryday-Evening. MOst Gracious, most Holy, Glorious Lord God, the Great Creator of Heaven and Earth, before whom all things are naked and bare; thou art a God hearing Prayer, and that givest gracious returns to thy praying Children and Servants; blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for that way that he hath appointed dust and ashes to approach unto him by. Oh the excellency of that way whereby poor lost and undone souls are invited to pour out their supplications through Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who endured the across and despised the shane, and now is sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, pleading the cause of his poor Supplicants; the desire of our souls is that we may this night rest under the shadow of thy holy protection, that thou wilt secure us from sin, Satan and our ourselfish selfish nature; we desire to take shane to ourselves for all that slain and guilt of sin that we have contracted; Oh that we might so confess sin as to forsake it, then and not until then we can expect return of mercy; Oh the precious time that we have sinned away, the glorious opportunities that we foolishly and wickedly have let slip; we have opposed and resisted the gracious motions of thy blessed Spirit, that would have sealed us to the day of redemption; Oh that sin might appear to us as it is in itself, it is the greatest shane and bane of poor souls: give unto us the grace of perseverance in thy ways, and profession with the practise of a holy life. Transform us into the likeness of our great Pattern, the High Priest of our profession. O that we could blame ourselves for all those difficulties and follies that sin hath brought upon us, strengthen our inward man against all Satans wil●ss to work our destruction; O give unto us the grace of precious faith, that faith which will vanquish Satan, overcome the world and that purifies the heart. Let us consider that it is high time for us to awake out of sleep that have done so little for Heaven and Eternity; our glass is almost run and our work is but uncertainly begun, help us to give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure; let us prepare our lamps, let our light shine and our works manifest that we are thine: hear, help, pardon and fit us by grace for glory, and all for Christs sake blessed for ever, Amen. A Morning Prayer for a Family for Saturday-Morning. O Most holy Lord, thou art and there is more. besides thee, from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. A God hearing the requests of thy poor creatures, and art pleased to answer their desires, and to strengthen them with renewed refreshments from day to day. It is the great happiness as well as the privilege that thy humble supplicants in and through our Lord Jesus, may sue for mercy and Grace in their time of need, and thou art graciously pleased to strengthen them with strength in their inward man, whereby they become fruitful in the works of righteousness to his praise, who hath called them out of darkness into his marvelous light; help us to manage our race with joy, and our warfare with a holy resolved resolution; give us to consider that all our way to Heaven must step by step, be carried by labour and victory, the weapons of our warface are mighty through God and the diligent seekers of him shall have a full and sure reward; enable us to serve the● O our God, with reverence and godly fear, as knowing that our God is a consuming fire; and though it be God that giveth us to will and to do, yet we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and we must be steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; enable us to overcome that we may inherit, and to be faithful to the death that we may receive the Crown of Righteousness; let us with Noah make sure work to prepare an Ark to the saving of our souls. O let us not be deceived in the great concerns of eternity, strengthen us against all the temptations to the pleasures of sin, let us with Moses rather choose affliction, though it be the allotted portion of the people of God; help us to avoid sin and all the occasions of it, and to hate the very garment spotted by the flesh, and that we may neither wound our own souls nor grieve the Holy Spirit of God, or of those that truly fear the Lord; give us seriously to think of our end, and what our flesh must turn to sooner than we are ware; let us use the world as though we used it not. Establish us in the plain truths of Christ, to believe and repent, and love God above all, and Heaven above Earth, and our Neighbours as ourselves, and to mortify the lusts of the flesh by the Spirit, to deny ourselves, and suffer patiently, and forgive our enemies; deliver us from all evil by thy grace until thou receive us into Glory, through our Lord Jesus, to whom be all Glory for ever, Amen. A Prayer for a Family for Saturday-Evening. BLessed, Great and Glorious Lord God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus thy beloved, and the desire of our souls, the fountain of all our comforts, the Author and Finister of our Faith, who hath with one offering perfected all those that are sanctified; in all our addresses in to thy presence let thy Spirit so assist us that we may offer up unto thee of thine own; make us sensible more and more of our own vileness and unworthiness either to receive mercies from thee or to return praises for those manifold favours and mercies received: let us be more and more sensible of the great want we stand in of a Saviour and a Sanctifier, in regard of our horrid defiled natures, which cause us to loathe and abhor ourselves; how much more loathsome must we needs appear to thy pure eyes to behold such horrid creatures as we are! let the excellency of thy grace preserve us from sin, and enable us to cast out, and to cast off all the works of sin and darkness. Convince us of the necessity of humility and renewed repentance▪ preserve us from idle security, and the neglect of the great work of mortification: Let us consider how God hates sin, and how he is set against it, and how he hath shown his dislike of it by his for bidding it, and causing his Son to die for sin; and how he hath chastised the godly themselves for sin, and that he will cast the impenitent into Hell for sin, and that he will suffer no sin nor sinner that so continues, in Heaven: convince us of the folly and madness of sinners that wilfully run on in sin to the damning of their souls, and of the happiness of those small number that shall be saved, and what their duty is; make us of that number who must neither think, speak or do as the most do; that the excellency of redeemed ones may shine in our lives, in our fervent love, and holy and hearty obedience: secure us from the deceits of this last age, both from false Prophets deceits and Satans transforming himself into an Angel of Light, and his Ministers into seeming Ministers of Righteousness to deceive; help is to heep up the interest of God, and Heaven, and Christ, and Holiness in our hearts, and by our faith to over doom the world; enable us to go on in the serious use of all the means of our salvation, and to forsake the most gainful or sweetest sin, and to perform all the hardest and costliest duties; above all gifts give us thy poor creatures sanctified hearts to preserve us from all sinful temptations, And deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory for ever, Amen. A Prayer for Seamen in a dangerous Storm. MOst Gracious, Omnipresent, Powerful Holy Lord, thou hast commanded thy poor creatures in their day of trouble to call upon thee, to whom belong the issues from death; this is a time of trouble, give thy poor greature a token for good in this his great distress; thou about canst turn this dreadful storm to a pleasant calm, thou hast shewed thy servant thy wonders in the deep, the Sea roars, and the deep is ready to swallow me up; the floods lift up their waves, the floods, O Lord, are lifted up, but the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters; powerful Lord, say to these proud waves, be still, and thy servant shall be safe; thou hast commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof, they mount up to the Heaven, they go down again to the depths, and my soul is melted because of trouble. O show thy goodness and mercy to thy poor creature, command this storm to be calm, and the waves thereof shall be still: cause thy servant to rejoice in thy mercy, and bring him to his desired haven; O give him occasion to▪ speak and publish thy goodness to his soul; thou hast shut up the Sea with doors, and said hitherto shalt thou come but no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed; thou hast set a bound that they shall not pass over, that they turn not again to cover the earth; thou canst command the Sea to stand still for thy redeemed to pass over, thy power is not lessened and thy hand is not shortened, thou art the same yesterday, to day and for ever; thou didst blow with thy wind, and the Sea covered thine enemies; who is like unto thee O Lord, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders! give thy servant cause for ever to praise thee by preserving him from this danger, and let it be as a seal upon his heart to rememember thy mercy, and give thee the praise thereof, so long as thou shalt continue my life here; grant this and all other mercies to thy poor unworthy creature for the sake of thy Son, our Saviour and blessed Redeemer, in whose Name I further pray, saying, Our Father, &c. A Thanksgiving after a storm at Sea. BLess the Lord O my soul, sing unto him, and talk of all his wondrous works; O forget not all his benefits, that regardeth the prayer of the destitute, the Lord merciful and gracious, he hath not dealt with me after my sins; for as the Heaven is high above the Earth, so great is his mercy to them that fear him: Thou art worthy of all my love, what shall I render unto thee, O thou who art the Saviour of those that put their trust in thee; thou hast put a fresh song of praise into my mouth, thou hast preserved me when the Sea rose up against me; blessed be the Lord who hath not suffered his billows to pass over me, the storm ceased and I am escaped, salvation is of the Lord; since thou hast given me a new life and delivered me from the terrors of the deep waters, thy mercy is great above the Heavens, and thy truth reacheth unto the Clouds; who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord, who can show forth all his praise? Let this deliverance cause me to resign up myself and all that I am entirely to thee, my God, my Father, my Saviour and Sanctifier; bring all the powers of my soul and body into a full subjection to thy government, shed abroad thy love into my heart by the Holy-Ghost, let thy love constrain me to love thee above all things, with all my heart, and soul, and might: thy poor creatures great desire is that he may know thee better and love thee more; cause me to make thy glory my ultimate end, and to seek thy glory in all that I do, and in all things to please thee, and how to live as I shall wish at last I had lived; strengthen me in my warfare that I may overcome through him that hath loved me, to whom be rendered praise, honour, dominion and thanks forever and ever, Amen. Pious Meditations on the Birth, Life, Death, Resurrection and Ascension of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. O The Greatness of that Love which the Angels came to declare! and the multitude of the Heavenly Host celebrated with Songs of Praise, at the birth of him who was sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and in the form of a servant; yet wonderfully conceived, by being formed by the immediate finger of the Spirit, the power of the most High overshadowing the blessed Virgin as it was foretold by the Angel at his Salutation; who was the brightness of his Fathers Glory, and the express image of his person, and the upholder of all things by the word of his power, at whose bringing into the world, he saith, And let all the Angels of God worship him. But unto the Son he saith, Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy Kingdom; yet when he came into the world, neither the world, nor his own knew him, though he dwelled amongst them; but as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believed on his name. So wonderful was his wisdom that the people cry out Whence hath this man this wisdom? in him were hide all the treasures of wisdom: O the riches of Grace to lost man that had forfeited all his mercies and sinned away all his hopes of blessedness, that then our Lord Jesus should assume our nature according to all those Prophecies and Promises made of old, that he should be born of a Virgin, and born at Bethlehem, that Kings should offer unto him, that Children should be slain thinking thereby to murder him; that a Star should appear at his Birth, that he ●hould fly into Egypt, that he should do strange miracles and die for sinners; that he should be betrayed by his Disciple, and that he should be sold for thirty pieces of Silver; that he should ride into Jerusalem; that he should be buffeted, spit on, scourged and die amongst thieves, that Vinegar should be given him to drink, that his Apparel should be divided, and Lots cast for his Garments; that he should be crucified, and his side pierced; that he should rise from the dead the third day, and that he should ascend into Heaven. O the depth of this mercy, that the Divine Nature should stoop so low, and that the human nature should be raised so high; that so low, lost and undone creatures should be made one person with the Divine Nuture; that God and man should meet in one Person; great is the mystery of Godliness, for the Creator to become a creature, for the Son of God to be made sin and a curse, and all to recover lost sinners; that in this union Heaven and Earth should embrace, and by way of reconciliation, that Christ should reconcile man to God, and by way of union make him one with God, so that now the humanity doth co-operate with the Divinity in swaying the sceptre both of Heaven and Earth. But yet further, O my soul, admire that blessed life of my Glorious Redeemer, and how powerfully and faithfully according to the Scriptures he hath confirmed all those miracles foretold and by him manifestly shewed whilst he was upon the earth; He turned Water into Wine, fed five thousand, Matth. 14. fed four thousand, Matth. 15. gave sight to the Blind, speech the Dumb, restored the withered Hand, healed the lame that had been so thirty eight years, healed the leprosy, the fever, the palsy, the Bloody-Issue, the dropsy, calmed the Sea, walked on the Waters, raised to life the dead, and delivered the possessed from the Devil. And at his death no less wonderful to confirm his truths spoken to his Disciples and to all that believe. At his death he was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, condemned by Pilate though by false witnesses: yet O my soul forget not his love, who before his suffering instituted the remembrance of his death and suffering, taking bread when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body; also the cup, saying, This is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you, this do in remembrance of me. After this Legacy left to all that believe and obey him, he went to the Mount of Olives, and there having advised his Disciples to pray, he withdrew from them and prayed, where there appeared an Angel to strengthen him, who in his Agony prayed the more earnestly; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground: immediately after he was betrayed by Judas with a Kiss. Afterward in the High-Priests house he was mocked, smitten, and blindfolded, and blasphemously spoken against; and before Herod he was set at nought by him and his men of War; and barrabas that for sedition and murder was cast into Prison, him Pilate released, and delivered Jesus to be crucified: at whose death the veil of the Temple rent in twane from the top to the bottom, and the Earth did quake, and the Rocks rent, and the Graves were opened, and many bodies of Saints which slept arose. Oh wonderful King in thy Conquest, a strange King in thy Anointing which was with the Spirit, his sceptre as strange wherewith he sways, it is the word of his mouth, by which he subdues the heart, destroys sin, and writes his Law in mens hearts. A strange King if we look upon the nature of his Kingdom, which consists in Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy-Ghost: this Kingdom is upheld only by the power of the Eternal Spirit. O my soul consider a little this wonderful Priest, he is so a Priest, that he is also the Altar and the Sacrifice: the Sacrifice is his Humanity, the Altar is his Divinity; the Priest is both these in their union; in which Sacrifice he hath made an end of sin, and brought in everlasting Righteousness. O wonderful Prophet, such a one that not only presents divine Truths to us, but gives light and understanding to receive those truths; he not only speaks out truth but unites truth and the soul together; yea he is both the Teacher and the truth taught. And how wonderful also is our Lord Jesus in his Resurrection! As his Nativity was revealed by Angels, so his Resurrection was also declared by Angels, and by himself confirmed by his ten several appearances after his Resurrection. To Mary, to the other Mary, to Joanna, to Peter, to the two Disciples going to Emaus, to the Eleven, to the Eleven Thomas being present, to above five hundred Brethren at once, to James alone at the Sea of Tiberias, and to his Disciples when he was received up into Heaven. After so many witnesses of our Lords Resurrection, and having shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty dayes: and being assembled together with them, he commanded his Apostles that they should wait at Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy-Ghost; after which they should receive power to be witnesses unto Christ; which Spirit they received and were witnesses both in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the Earth. And now is Christ risen and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father, the Salvation of God, the Fountain of Grace, the Heir of all things, the Portion of our Inheritance, our Righteousness, Wisdom, Sanctification and Redemption, and hope of Glory; the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, the Saviour of the world, the King of the Jews, the Salvation and light of the Gentiles: Having by his work of Redemption raised up Salvation, wonderfully conquered Satan, done away sin, brought in Righteousness, satisfied Justice; and thus the mystery of mans necessity is fully answered, God coming down into communion with man in his sin, shane, weakness and misery; and then drawing up man into communion with himself in his own Righteousness, Power, Blessedness and Glory. And when he actually brings forth this Redemption within us, and accomplisheth the work of Salvation in the souls of men; this O my soul is again wonderful: when he comes and sets up a glorious marvelous light in the midst of thick darkness, turning upside down the very frame and foundation of corrupt nature; throws down the powers of darkness, dissolves and the works of the Devil, and sets up a new Creation purely upon a new bottom; that erecteth a beautiful structure of Righteousness and Holiness, and spiritual Temple to the Lord in the midst of that rubbish of confusion, desolation and disorder that was there before; and all this by the mere power of his word; he that doth these things, his name is and shall be called Wonderful. O my soul let this invite thee from they estrangedness to Christ, O that we could come to feed and to feast our souls upon these rare excellencies, delights and perfections, which are treasured up in Jesus Christ. Here is wonderful mercy, improved to pardon thee; wonderful grace, to accept and entertain thee; wondrous goodness to relieve and supply thee; wonderful power to redeem and support thee; wonderful wisdom to instruct and guide thee; and wonderful holiness to adorn and sanctify thee, and wonderful fullness to fill and satisfy thee: O that with all Saints we may be able to comprehend what is the height, depth and breadth of this love, and all in order to our salvation, that we may more and more discover the treasures of our own comfort, happiness and glory. A Prayer before the Receiving the Holy Communion. MOst Holy Lord, the Father of Mercy, and the God of all consolation, by whose special providence we are preserved and maintained: Eternally blessed Lord, let that precious blood shed to redeem us from our vile and vain conversations, besprinkle our hearts from an evil Conscience; to that end let that remembrance of Our Lord Jesus this day to be celebrated by us be according to that institution, to confirm our faith, settle our knowledge and establish us in our Communion of Saints, and to experience our union with our head Jesus Christ. O help us to examine our truth of faith, and to prove ourselves, knowing that Christ is in us except we be reprobates. O prevent our setting seal to a blank, or which is worse, to sign to our own damnation; let Christ in us be our hope of Glory; let him be our sanctuary, our light, our glory, a tried, precious Corner-stone to us; let us taste and see that the Lord is gracious to us, and a shelter from that storm which the wicked must one day feel; let our sins be pardonned and our souls purged, let the testimony of our interest in Christ be manifested in our holy walking, by our holy warfare, and our strength received; let us give all diligence to make our calling and election sure; help us to improve our new birth, let it appear by our renewed life, let us as our Lord Jesus once grew, grow in the stature of grace; he did never sin, O let us therefore hate the spotted Garment, the corrupt Heart, and a walking and minding those things that savour of the flesh; help us by faith to see him that sees us; and to walk with him and before him, striving to be perfect as he who redeemed us was perfect. Let neither thy Table O our blessed Lord, nor our own become a snare to us; but let us taste how gracious thou art to those that wait upon thee in sincerity, though with much weakness and an unanswerable preparedness according to the preparation of the Sanctuary. O grant that in the strength we shall receive by this blessed food, we may walk as thy redeemed, and that for his sake, who is our alone Redeemer, Amen. A Thanksgiving after the Receiving the Holy Communion. O Blessed Lord, we thy poor and undeserving unworthy creatures aclowledge that in all out addresses and approaches, there is nothing can be added to thee by us, who are worms and no men, of whose services thou hast no need, who art absolutely happy in thyself; it will one day be our perfection and happiness to admire and praise thee with the Spirits of just men made perfect. O that we could love thee more and know thee better, and obey thee with a more perfect heart, and a more willing mind; if we neglect thee, we cast away ourselves; by thee we were formed, and by thee we were transformed and begotten again to a lively hope; blessed be thy glorious name for all the good hopes through grace received, for that pruchased redemption for all that believe and obey thy blessed Gospel, wherein our Redeemer hath gone before us as our pattern, and paid our ransom, that is the way, the truth and the life. O that the Spirit of thy Son might convince, support and strengthen us with all might in our inward man, that we might grow up to a full stature in Christ, and that his flesh might be our meat indeed, and his blood might so cleanse and purisie us, that sin may die in us and grace grow in us; and above all our knowledge, let the knowledge of our Lord Jesus be the great bent, aim and desire of our souls: let Christ formed in us be our hope of Glory, he is the choicest of ten thousand, what shall we render unto him for all the pain and travail of his soul for us! he dyed for us, let us live to him; he rose for us, let us be raised by him; he is ascended for us, let us ascend to him; let our communion and fellowship be with the Father and the Son through the assistance of that spirit promised to comfort, guide and preserve us till we shall be translated to Glory, Amen. A Prayer for one that takes any difficult Journey or employment, for good success. HOly Lord, thou art the supreme governor and disposer of all things in Heaven and in Earth; in faithfulness thou presenvest those that seek unto thee for help, direction and assistance in their time of need. Thou knowest all the devices and contrivances in the heart of man, but thy counsel only that shall stand. Mans ways are not in himself, neither can he direct his paths; the issue of all our ways belong to thee, and to thy guidance I commit myself, humbly desiring the direction of my ways and the protection of my person, in the difficulty and danger I am liable to expose myself unto; if thy good providence and preservation preserve me not. The whole creation is at thy command; thou art the God of the Seas, and the God of the Land, the God of the mountains as well as of the Valleys, a God hearing prayer in all places, unto thee and thee only I desire to resign up myself and my concerns; O prosper my employ, especially preserve my soul, keep me secure under thy shelter, from sinful provocation and faithless distrust. O leave me not to my own understanding, preserve all concerned with me, that prudently, justly and faithfully we may discharge ourselves. Direct me in all my ways, that I may have respect to all thy Commandments. Cause me to understand thy ways, and to walk according to thy Rule. Preserve me from self interest or seeking great things to myself, and so to bury myself in worldly concerns. Let all thy mercies raise me up to admire thy glorious workmanship in the world, but especially thy new creation in and by Christ to the Heirs of glory; Christ shall one day be admired in his Saints, and glorified in them that believe. Let the infinite wisdom, purity and excellency of Christ, cause me to reflect upon my own darkness, filthiness and vileness with an holy fear and trembling; and with an holy dependence upon Jesus Christ, to rely upon that righteousness and fullness that is in him; that I may behold him to be a sure bulwark, a strong and everlasting Rock for the soul to rest and betrust itself upon; so that he is able to preserve the greatest sinner and to deliver in the greatest danger; and therefore I will cast my fear and care upon him in all my streights and dangers of difficulties whatsoever; let the experience of thy love in Christ raise and exalt thankfulness and suitable returns of praise to thee O Father with the blessed Spirit of Grace, for ever, and for ever, Amen. A Prayer in Time of War. O Almighty Lord, to whom alone preservation, protection and victory belongs, in thy strength we shall be more than Conquerors; it is all one to thee to save by many, or by few; thou canst cause one to chase a thousand, and the most valiant shall melt away if thou appear against them, their hands shall be weak, their minds and courage shall faint; if thou appear for us, we shall overcome; thou knowest our cause, O give us strength, go out with our Navies and Armies, cover our heads in the day of battle, let the spirit of wisdom and courage be in our Generals and Leaders; gird them with strength, teach their hands to war, and their fingers to fight; let thy fear fall upon us, and thy terror upon our enemies; let us find thy assistance both in our consultations and resolutions, and prosper all our enterprizes with good success which are undertaken for the common good and the Kingdoms Peace: Holy Lord, though for our sins we deserve thy wrath and vengeance, and the guilt thereof might justly cause us to fear thy wrath and destruction in this present service; yet for the sake of our alone Saviour take not this advantage upon us. Let it appear that our call is in obedience to our sovereign, that for his defence we are to obey and submit ourselves and lives, to whom we are to yield and serve; let us rather fall into thy hands than into the hands of merciless enemies; but let it appear that thou art in the midst of us, and that as of old, thou wilt still appear in thine own cause and quarrel against thine and thy peoples enemies: O let not the violence of our enemies, or the weight of our sins cause us to sink, but arise, help and deliver us for thy names sake. We have no refuge to flee to, no support, no help but in thy protection and preservation; let it appear that thou art in the midst of us, and that we shall not be a prey to the Enemy, nor a derision to the Enemies of Peace and Truth, but let peace and truth meet together; be unto us a strong Tower of defence, let peace be within our walls, and prosperity within our gates, and let truth and peace meet together for the promoting the Gospel of thy Son the Prince of peace, the Captain of our Salvation, for whom we desire to bless thee, to whom with thy blessed Self and holy Spirit, be ascribed praise, honour, dominion and everlasting praise, for ever and for ever, Amen. A Prayer for Converting Grace, by a Convinced Sinner. O Most holy, just and dreadful Lord God, yet gracious and ready to receive poor sinners, who repentingly return unto thee by faith in Christ; I hear from thy word, that thou hast redeemed the world by Jesus Christ, and he hath satisfied thy Justice as a propitiation for our sins, and hath merited thy pardoning saving grace, for all that truly believe and repent, and hearty accept of Christ for the saving work and benefits of his mediation. But I hear, that except we repent, we shall all perish; and that he that believeth not shall be damned; and that except we be born again of the Spirit, and be converted; and that without holiness none shall see thee; and that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his; and that all that are in Christ are new Creatures; old things are passed away, and all things are become new; and that the carnal mind is enmity, and neither is nor can be subject to thy law; and that Christ is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him. I am convinced that thou art best, and best to me; and that I should love thee with all my heart, and vilify all the pleasures, and Riches, and Honours of this world in comparison of thee: I am convinced that all this world is vanity; and that Heaven alone where thou art seen, and perfectly loved and praised, is the only felicity of souls. I am convinced that thou art the first and last, of whom and through whom, and to whom, both I and all things are. But alas, the hardness of my heart, the power of unbelief and fleshly lusts, prevaileth against all this conviction! I fear lest all my knowledge should condemn me to be beaten with many stripes; when I know that I should do good, evil is present with me; and the will of the flesh prevaileth against thy holy will. The custom of sinning hath increased my sinful inclination: Long have I been wishing and purposing to repent, and come to thee; but alas, how many purposes have I changed, and how many promises have I broken, and how many wishes have come to nothing? O that I had a heart, a will to love thee as much above all the world, as I know I should love thee! and to delight in thee, and in thy holy ways, in thy Grace and in the hopes of Glory. O that I had a heart would enlargedly run the way of thy Commandments, and did delight to do thy will O God; and did still obey thee from the power of love! O that the new nature did more strongly incline me to thee, and to thy service, than my corrupted nature inclineth me to the interest of carnal self and sense! O that I had a heart to believe in Christ, as strongly as I know I should believe in him; and to hate sin as much as I am convinced that I should hate it, and to live by faith and not by sight! I have corrupted this heart, O Lord, but I cannot renew it; I have defiled it, but cannot cleanse it; I have kindled in it the fire of sinful lusts, but I cannot quench it: I have none to fly to now, or in the hour of my last extremity, but that God whom I have so heinously offended! I have none to trust in, but the Saviour whom I have so unthankfully neglected! I have none to regenerate and make clean my soul, but the same Spirit whom I have so long resisted! Have mercy upon me, O God, according to the greatness of thy mercy. My time is going, O precious time! It is going, Lord, and almost gone; I have but a few more breaths to breath, and I am gone from hence for ever, and yet alas my work is undone, my soul is unready! If I die this night, O where shall I awake, and where must I take up my endless dwelling! It is thy wonderful mercy which hath kept me alive and from Hell so long! The time that is past will never return! Lord Jesus raise me by thy quickening Spirit, as ever thou hadst mercy on a miserable sinner; of all mercies in the world, O give me thy holy Spirit, through the mediation of my dear Redeemer; that I may live in the fruitful exercise of thy grace, unto thy glory here, and may live in the delights of thy glorious love for evermore; through the merits and intercession of my blessed Saviour, for ever, and for ever, Amen. A Form of Prayer for a sick Sinner, who is unprepared to die. O Merciful God, reject not me a sad unworthy sinner, who under great pain and deep sorrow desire to shelter myself under the wings of Jesus Christ. I have trifled away too too much of the day of my salvation, and wilfully and sinfully neglected thy call; O say not that it is too late. O that I had better found out my sin before it found me out; and that it was more my grief, before it had been so much my pain. O remember not the iniquities of my youth, nor the sins which I have since committed against thy great and manifold mercies, the motions of thy Spirit, and the reproofs of my own Conscience. I have sinned foolishly as a man, but do thou forgive me mercifully as a gracious God. If the suffering of my flesh do seem so grievous, how should I suffer thy burning wrath for ever on my soul? O give me true repentance unto life! Let not pain and fear only drive me to a purpose to amend: but let thy Spirit of grace renew my soul, by the powerful sense of thy love in Christ. Let this be the fruit of my affliction through his grace, to purge and take away my sin, and to make me partaker of thy holiness. Have mercy on this weak and pained flesh: O spare me a little, and give me space to make a better preparation for my change, before I go hence and am seen no more! O let not my fearful soul appear before thee the holy dreadful God, in an unpardoned or unrenewed state! Renew my time and renew my soul, that I may live to thee before I die. I have abused thy long-suffering; I have forfeited both health, and life, and hope; I have foolishly and sinfully lost many an hour of precious time, which never can be called back! I foresaw this day, and was oft fore-warned of it, by thy servants and by my Conscience! But I took not warning! And now, alas, how unready is my soul to appear before thee! My sins affright me! Thy justice and holiness affright me! Eternity, Eternity doth amaze my soul! I have no assurance to escape thy wrath and everlasting misery! I have not so set my heart on Heaven, nor lived in a heavenly conversation; as to desire to be dissolved that I may be with Christ, and to come with boldness and comfortable hope before the Judge of all the world! Forgive me my sins through the sacrifice and intercession of my Redeemer. O try me once more with the opportunities and means of grace! Return, O Lord, deliver my soul, O save me for thy mercies sake! Kill me not, till my sin be killed! End not this life till thou hast prepared me for a better! Cut not off my time, till I am ready for eternity! Let me not die in my sins, nor fall into the hands of thy revenging justice! O give me yet both time and grace! Or if thou wilt try me no longer here on earth! Now, Lord, before my soul depart, sanctify it by thy Spirit and wash it in the blood of Jesus Christ; and shed abroad thy love upon it▪ And if this be all the time that ever I shall have, to beg thy saving grace and mercy, though it be short, let it be an accepted time. Have mercy, mercy, mercy, O Lord, upon a sinful undone soul, and let me not be the fire-brand of thy hot displeasure. I give up myself to thee, my reconciled God and Father, my Saviour and my Sanctifier. Accept me, and assure me of the blessings of thy Covenant! And then though I deserve to dwell with Devils, I shall see thy glory, and be filled with thy love, and with Saints and Angels shall joyfully praise my Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier for ever, Amen, Amen. A Prayer for a Woman in the time of her Travail. HOly, blessed and most merciful Lord God, thou art a present help in time of trouble, to thee alone belong the issues of death. In regard of those manifold evils I stand guilty of before thee; I have just cause to fear that severe sentence, in sorrow to bring forth: O give me an interest in him who hath recovered that sentence by his making himself an offering for sin, and remember that good word of thine upon which thou hast caused thy poor Hand-maid to trust; thou hast commanded; us to call upon thee in the day of trouble, this is the time of trouble and the hour of distress: O hear, help and give strength to thy poor creature; preserve me in this hour, and give me cause to rejoice in thy Salvation; let there be strength to bring forth as well as to bring to the birth; though strength may, fail, and skill may fail, be thou my support, help and deliverer, who never failest those that trust and depend upon thy mercy; give me strength of Faith to cast all my fear and hopes upon thee, who hast given experience of thy goodness to thy poor creature, of thy loving kindness in the like times of danger; preserve me and the fruit of my womb, and grant that both may be made as monuments of thy mercy to speak of, and live to glorify thy name in the land of the living; support and strengthen my fainting spirit; assist and instruct those that are helpers with me, and let this great mercy and all others from time to time received from thee, lay upon the heart of thy poor creature as an everlasting engagement of living to thy praise and glory the whole course of my life. O enable me in my Relations to perform my duty as becomes a Daughter of Sarah by a Christian subjection, and in all the passages of my concern that I may as a meet help discharge my place as becomes one that ought to live in the sense of experienced mercies to the glory of thy most holy name and the comfort of those committed to my care. These and whatsoever may advance thy glory, and my eternal welfare, I humbly crave for his sake who is the hope of all in distress and the support of sinking souls, for whom, and to whom, with thy blessed Spirit of Grace be praise, honour and faithful obedience rendered for ever and ever, Amen. A Thanksgiving to be used after safe Deliverance. MOst Gracious, most Merciful and most Powerful Lord God; thou art a God that hearest the sighs and groans of thy poor languishing creatures when they are at the very brink of the Pit, when hope, and heart, and strength fail; in the Mount thou hast been seen; the depth of misery is and hath been the height of thy mercy: O what shall thy poor creature render unto thee for this great deliverance to me and to the fruit of my womb! thine was the power, thine is the glory. O let my soul live for ever in a thinkful frame, and let the resolves made in the hour of my distress, for ever remain fresh upon my Spirit. O add to the fruit of my body the fruits of righteousness to my soul, and let thy renewed mercies never slip out of my thoughts; renew my strength, and revew my thankfulness, and let the meditations of all thy manifold-favours be precious to my soul; let the Infant new born be preserved by thee, and sanctify all those means appointed for its growth both in natural proportion, and spiritual regeneration; let it be born again, that it may be a vessel of glory fit for the Masters use. O that this mercy may more and more engage my soul to a conscientious, serious resolvedness to discharge my relations as it becomes all those that have tasted and experienced thy wonderful engaging mercies; enable me to trust in thee at all times; my soul wait thou still upon God, he only is my Rock and my Salvation: O let those that love the Lord trust in him at all times, for thy loving kindness is better than life; because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. O thou that hearest prayer, and answerest the petitions of thy Servants; thou art my hope, by thee I have been holpen up from the womb; thou art he that took me out of my Mothers bowels; I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more. Blessed be the Lord God▪ the God who only doth wondrous things, and blessed be his glorious name for ever, and for ever, Amen. Parents Prayer for their Children. GReat and Glorious Lord, thou art the great possessor of Heaven and Earth, we humbly thank thee for all thy providential protection and care over us ever since thou gaveft us our first being, but more especially for that knowledge thou hast given us of thy Son, and in him through grace the hopes of a better habitation eternal in the Heavens; O that this hope might engage us for ever to love, and serve and obey thee our God, as it becomes those that are redeemed from their vile and vain conversations: O pardon the follies of our youth and the many sins of our riper age; undeceive us in the deceits of sin, Satan and the world; make us wise in good earnest to provide for things eternal. Holy Lord, we beseech thee take our Children, whom thou hast given us, into thy protection; we desire that ours by generation, may be thine by regeneration; enable us to train them up in the knowledge of thee our gracious God. O bless all the ways and means ordained for that purpose; teach us our duty when to correct them, and how profitably to instruct them; make us wise to salvation, and conscientiously to improve all thy appointments, public and private, for their and our own souls eternal advantage; help us in the management of our affections and passions, that we may neither indulge nor discourage them by our over-rash, or too fond miscarriage; but that by a godly, sober, grave, humble devoted behaviour our conversation may be blameless: Work in them a great reverence to all their superiors, Teachers and Spiritual Pastors; and bless all godly Admonitions to them, that they may conscientiously follow and obey them. Assist and direct us in such persons as may be assistant in their education, and in our choice of fit employments. For ever blessed be thy holy Name for all the preservations from dangers of Infancy and Childhood; O preserve them from the rashness and indiscretion of youth, and fortify their minds against all allurements to sin. Give them grace by holy Examples, choice company and pious discreet counsel, but above all grant them the assistance of thy grace until thou remove them to Glory, Amen. The Childs Prayer for his Parents. O Most Merciful Lord God, that takest notice of any good thing in thy Children, and hast commanded such to remember their Creator in the days of their youth; give me grace to improve all those good and wholesome instructions that by my Parents godly education I have been trained and nurtured up in; let thy Holy Spirit inspire me, that I may inwardly taste and see thy goodness, and may grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; let the instruction and correction of my Parents be sanctified to that end for which it was appointed. Let their chastisings betime drive out my childish folly, and endear my affections to them that were so careful of my everlasting good. Give me the Spirit of grace and of thy fear, that those instructions begun without me may be powerful in me, and grant that as I grow in years I may grow in grace to a full stature, to thy glory, the comfort and joy of my Parents, and to the eternal welfare of my never dying soul when time shall be no more; continually preserve me by thy preventing grace; let thy love constrain me, thy threatenings awe me, thy judgements upon sinners affright me; let thy promises encourage me, and the hopes of eternal glory enable me to fight the good fight of Faith, to lay hold on eternal life, and to stand fast in that good hope through grace wrought in me through Jesus. Christ the Righteous, in whose name I am by him taught further to say, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c. A Prayer for the Church of Christ Militant here on Earth. O Most Holy, Everliving, and for ever blessed Lord God, who hast commanded us to make Prayers and Supplications for all men; we beseech thee inspire continually the universal Church with the Spirit of Truth, that it may be guided and governed by thy good Word and Spirit; that all those that profess and call themselves Christians, may adorn their profession with a Christian conversation in godliness and honesty, that they may hold the Truth in Righteousness, and that they may hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace, and in Righteousness of Life. We beseech thee also to save and defend all Christian Kings, Princes and Governours; make them according to thy promise Nursing Fathers and encouragers of Truth and Piety, more especially thy Servant and our sovereign Charles our King, that under him we may led a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty; bless His Council, let them be instruments of thy honour here, and partakers of Eternal Glory hereafter; be gracious to those that rule in Spiritual Concerns, the Reverend Bishops, Pastors and Curates, that they may be burning and shining Lights, both in their Lives and Doctrine, to adorn the Glorious Gospel of God and our Saviour; deliver thy Captives, comfort thine afflicted, and gather thy scattered for the sake of thy Son, and our Redeemer, Amen, Amen. A Prayer for the King and the Royal Family. GLorious, Blessed and Eternal, Everliving Lord God; thou alone art King of Kings, Lord above all Lords, and the only Ruler and Disposer of Princes; who from thy Glorious Throne beholdest the persons, and art acquainted with all the most secret actings of the children of men: Most humbly we beseech thee, with the choicest of thy favours to behold thy Servant, and our sovereign Charles, by thy Grace and special Providence, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith. Bless him, O our God, with the blessing of Heaven and the blessings of the Earth; preserve his soul, let that be precious in thy account; prosper all his great designs; let the event of all center in thy Glory and the Nations welfare. Bless him in his Queen and Royal Relations, in his Council and all their Consultations. Let there be peace and truth in his dayes, and when he shall have finished his Course here, receive him to Reign for ever in Glory, for the sake of thy Son our blessed Saviour and Redeemer, Amen. A Prayer for Christmas-day. ALmighty, Ever Blessed Lord, the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; for ever blessed be thy Holy Name for Jesus Christ, the Son of thy Love, whom as at this time thou hast sent out of thy Bosom according to thy faithful promise made unto thy faithful servants of old, that he should take upon him our Nature, and be born after a most wonderful manner, of a pure Virgin; at whose Birth the Angels rejoice, and the Wise Men guided by a Star offer him presents. O blessed Lord, shall we rejoice and partake of that great benefit, by being delivered from the hands of all our enemies, to serve thee without fear, in righteousness and holiness all the days of our lives! let Christ that was born to redeem us be formed in us; let our joy be the joy of the newborn; let the life of Christ-be our example, his mean entertainment our contemplation, and his wonderful preservation our consolation: As he grew in wisdom to admiration, O grant that we may be wise to salvation; make us thy Children by grace, and then translate us for his sake who hath redeemed us from wrath to come, Amen. A Prayer for Easter-day. GRacious and Most Holy Lord God, who through thy blessed Son and our alone Saviour, hast conquered and overcome Death, Hell and Sin; and hast now opened unto us the way to Eternal Life: O grant, that as Christ hath died for sin, so that we may die to sin; let the effects of our contemplation upon what he hath done and suffered for us, raise us up to a renewed life of faith and holy obedience: Christ being raised from the dead, death no more; O let this consideration raise us with holy resolves to sin no more; preserve us from the practise of sin, and then we shall be secured from the wages of sin. Let thy preventing grace secure us, holy striving delight us, thy continual aid assist us, and thy holy Spirit enable us to perfect holiness in thy fear, that we may live holily, and live eternally to sound forth the praise of our Redeemer everlastingly; to whom be rendered Praise, Honour and Living thankfulness, by us, and all thine, for ever, and for ever, Amen. A Prayer for Whit-Sunday. HOly, Glorious Lord, who according to that good word of promise, made by our blessed Redeemer to his Disciples, that he would sand the Holy Spirit the Comforter, the which he did upon the day appointed; O grant unto us that by the same Spirit we may be inspired and enlightened, to know things that differ, that we may know the height, the depth, the length and breadth of the love of God in his Son; that Christ in us may be our hope of Glory, that the Spirit of Truth may guide us into all truth; let our fellowship with the Father and the Son be manifest to us by this Spirit, and our obedience to all the commands of Christ our witness; let us be taught by this Spirit, and lead by this Spirit; and O blessed Spirit, remember us what we are to do and what we are to suffer, and how we shall answer, and give a reason of our faith, that we may be able to stop the mouths of all Gainsayers. Let thy Spirit give us utterance, and strengthen us in our holy obedience; possess us with thy peace, preserve us from our troubles and our fears, give us an entrance that we may go in and find pasture: Now to him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present us spotless to his Father, to the only wise God and our Saviour, be Praise, Honour, Dominion and Power, for ever, and for ever, Amen. A Prayer for a Widow. MOst Wise, Most Holy Lord God, by whose Gracious dispose all things are ordered as thou seest best, for those that hope and trust in thy faithfulness and truth: Since I am deprived of a meet help, be pleased to be my present help in this troublous state and sorrowful condition. O let not my sinful miscarriage in that relation I was lately in be charged upon me; O let thy gracious supporting assistance engage me to draw nearer into communion with thee and with thy Son and Spirit; let the consideration of my loss be the improvement of my gain; help me to prise mercies better, and to return thanks whilst they are enjoyed; let death be more minded by me, and health more prized, and for a dying hour enable me to give all diligence to be better prepared. Be a Father to the Fatherless, and a support to the soul of thy poor Creature, that she may see thy love in this affliction; thy love in every transaction, and in the end good hope through grace of an everlasting enjoyment of Glory, and all for the merits of Christ Jesus, Amen. A Prayer for a Servant. MOst Glorious and most Gracious Lord God, with whom there is no respect of persons; yet thou art pleased to command the duty of servants to be just, not purloining, to be patient and not retorting, to be diligent and faithful, neither eye-servants, nor false, especially if members of Christ and fellow-heirs of the same hopes of Glory: O pardon my miscarriage in this condition, the ignorance and folly that hath possessed me in this relation; my murmuring, and repining, and envying those above me. O deliver me from that bondage that causes shane, let not sin prevail over me, let thy service which is perfect freedom possess me, and the discharge of my duty faithfully in my place delight me; let thy blessing be upon my employ, and give me favour in the eyes of my Master, and his family; enable me to do all hearty as to the Lord, and as I would expect to be dealt with in that condition; bless me at my going out and coming in, and make me more and more zealous of good works; Direct me in the path of holiness to expect eternal happiness, and all for Christs sake blessed for ever, Amen. A Prayer for a sick Person. MOst Gracious God, thou art he that castest down and raisest up, thou art a God hearing prayer, and hast commanded us to call upon thee in the time of trouble, and thou wilt hear and have mercy. O Lord hear, O Lord forgive all the sins of thine afflicted, weak and sorrowful poor creature; let thy chastisements teach how to profit, let thy correction teach and instruct, show me my own sore, show me the Rod and him that appointed it; O give me cause to say experimentally, that it is good for me that I have been afflicted; let inward strength support the weakness of the outward man; let sin receive its deaths wound, and the life of Christ gather growth and strength; O give repentance to life, and a holy submission to be at thy dispose. Bless the means used and the instruments employed, and whether life or death be my lot, give me a holy submissive spirit, and the evidence of thy love; so shall thy name be glorified, and my soul rest satisfied in and through Jesus Christ; in whose name I further Pray, saying, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c. Amen. A brief relation of the Gunpowder Treason Plot. THe Plot was designed to destroy King, Peers and Parliament at one Blow, by undermining the Parliament-house. This damnable design was contrived and prosecuted by the Popish Priests, and others of that faction; and the Conspirators engaged in an Oath of fecrelle, by taking the Sacrament to ratify the design the more Hellishly. The day was appointed and all things prepared ready; November the fifth 1605 was the day for execution; but about ten days before a Letter was sent to the Lord Monteagle, the Contents whereof so troubled him, that he presently imparts it to the Secretary of State, and he immediately presents it to the King; which was to this effect, To advice the said, Lord to be tender of his own preservation, as he tendered his life, and to study to shift off his attendance at this Parliament; for God and man had concurred to punish the wickedness of this Time, &c. for though there be no appearance of any stir, yet, I say, they shall receive a deadly blow this Parliament, and yet they shall not see who hurts them, &c. The King reading this Letter, did immediately conclude by the several dark sentences, that this Blow must be by Gunpowder. Whereupon strict search being made under the Parliament-house at midnight, the very night before the Parliament sate, at the door at the entrance of the Cellar, was found one Guy Faux clothed and Booted, who being apprehended, upon farther search, removing some Billets they found thirty six Barrels of Gunpowder; and searching the traitor, they find about him a Dark lantern, and three Matches, and other instruments for blowing up the Powder. This horrid Plot thus being discovered, the King, Peers and Commons were preserved, and the Conspirators received their deserved punishment. And besides Fauks, R. Catesby, T. Piercy, T. Winter, R. Winter, J. Wright, C. Wright and Bates, Catesbyes man, These eight were first in the Treason. These sieve were promoters of the Plot, Sir Everard Digby. Ambrose Rookwood Esquires. Francis Wesham Esquires. Robert Kegs Gentlemen. John Grant Gentlemen. A Thanksgiving for the fifth day of November, for the happy and miraculous deliverance of this Land, King and the Two other Estates of the Realm, from that Horrid, Bloody Plot by Gunpowder. ALmighty Lord, thou art God alone, thy Power and Mercy hath in all Ages miraculously appeared for the preservation of thy Church and chosen people; no weapon formed against them hath ever prospered, when thou undertakest their protection, thou hast scattered and destroyed all those that delight in blood. We desire from the bottom of our hearts to offer up our unfeigned thanks and praise for this thy wonderful deliverance of our late gracious Sovereign King James, the Queen and all the Royal Family, with the Nobility, Clergy and Commons of this Realm, then by Popish Treachery appointed as Sheep to a most barbarous and savage slaughter; blessed for ever be thy mercy and providence for preventing this unparrallel'd, designed destruction. O let not our Religion, our liberty and freedom of thy Gospel be either subverted or corrupted; pardon our unthankfulness, our unprofitableness, our neglect and contempt of the means of grace: give us humble hearts towards thee, hearts subject to all thine Institutions and Ordinances; increase in us a lively faith, fruitful love in all holy obedience; continue thy Gospel, preserve our Governours and Government; establish truth and righteousness in this Kingdom; preserve all thine, from the King upon the Throne to the meanest Subject, for the sake of Jesus Christ, in whose Name we further pray, saying, Our Father, &c. A Prayer for the thirtieth of January, being the day of the Martyrdom of King Charles the First, 1648. O Most Glorious, Most Merciful, and yet to sinful transgressors of thy Laws and Constitutions a most terrible God; O let thy Judgements of old against rebellious Corah and his Associates, arm all thy humble servants against all the motions or enticements to that great and grievous sin of Rebellion, which is as the sin of Witchcraft, a sin that hath never gone unpunished; we desire to bewail our own sins, and the sins of the Nation, which have caused this heavy judgement to befall us. Thou art righteous in all thy ways, and holy in all thy works; holy Lord, when thou makest inquisition for blood, spare the Innocent; let the blood of Jesus expiate this great and grievous guilt, nothing but that can do it. O give us to know thy will, R. Charles 1. Murthared. woodcut depicting the execution block for King Charles I, 1648 and to submit to thine appointments; thou only who art supreme Lord or the world dost appoint Kings and Princes, he appoints and he exalts; thine is the Kingdom, he divides and gives Kings and Kingdoms, against Kings there is no rising up, or an evil thought to be harboured. O that a deep humiliation might seize upon us in the consideration of that great Ordinance of Divine Appointment; we slighted our mercy, and it was removed, destroyed, and we scattered, divided and ruined: The Laws of Heaven were violated, the Land confused and distracted. Preserve us from thinking or speaking evil of dignities, much more from resisting. Settle us and establish us, let our fear of the Lord and the King be manifested by our submission, subjection, honour, readiness to defend, and to give to Caesar what is Caesars, and unto God all holy service and everlasting praise in and through our blessed Redeemer, in whose Name we conclude, saying, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c. The Dreadful Plague in London 1665. in which were butted sixty eight thousand five hundred eighty six. A Prayer in time of the Pestilence. O Most Holy, Just and Righteous Lord God, thou art righteous in all thy ways, but we have sinned and provoked thee to wrath; thy wrath is gone forth, the Plague is begun, and it increaseth; we have rebelliously provoked thee, and the iniquity of our ways hath overtaken us: O accept of that full atonement made by the High-Priest of our profession, Jesus, that with one offering hath for ever perfected those that are sanctified. In him behold us, and pardon and purge us; cause thy destroying Angel to cease from punishing, and give us thy gracious Spirit to cause us to cease from provoking The Great Plague, 1665. woodcut depicting a churchyard during the plague thy blessed Majesty by sinning against thee. Let us be preserved under thy protection, O defend us from this noisome Pestilence, let thy faithfulness and truth be our Shield and Buckler; say there shall no Plague come near our dwelling, though a thousand fall beside us, and ten thousand at our right hand: give thy Angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways. Deliver thy poor creatures, behold weeping eyes, dejected countenances, wringing hands, and bended knees, mourning voices, and groaning hearts; thou God of all Consolation support us, thou art a God of mercy, pardon us, and heal us, and deliver us for thy Names sake, for Christs Name in whom alone thou art well pleased; let his intercession prevail, that we may yet praise thee, serve and obey thee, and all this we beg farther as he hath taught us, saying, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c. The Lamentable and Dreadful Fire in London began the second of September 1666. about one of the Clock in the morning, and so continued for near four days, till it had burnt down thirteen thousand, two hundred Houses, besides eighty nine Parish Churches, and many magnificent Halls and other places; the loss being computed to be nine millions nine hundred thousand pounds. A Prayer for September the second, the beginning of that lamentable Fire in London, 1666. HOly, Just and Righteous Lord God, thy ways are holy, and thy Judgements just; our crying sins have brought down terrible vengeance; our pride, oppression and fullness of bread, Sodoms sins, have brought upon us Sodoms Judgements: O our God, our sins have deserved more severity, we have sinned against London in Flames by Night woodcut of the London fire, 1666 Gospel-light, we have held the truth in unrighteousness, we are a corrupt Generation; we have walked after the course of the Prince of the Power of the Air; he wrought mightily in us, and we were as ready to work for him; our greatest pains was in the service of sin; we forgot the God of all our mercies, we grew worse and worse, and we fear greater judgements to follow. Let these burnings alarm us to consider this dreadful way of thy pleading with a sinful people; the last and great destruction will be in fire, to render vengeance upon all ungodly, when the Elements shall melt, and the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved; grant that seeing all these things must be dissolved, we may be diligent, that we may be found without spot, and blameless. O Lord, consider we are thy people, though rebellious and unthankful; O prevent our ruin, and lay us not open to the merciless rage of consuming flames; the Winds and Seas are at thy command, the fire shall not burn if thou speak the word. Take from us this cup of trembling, and let all thy severity work in us a greater humility; subdue us to thy will, cause us to see the things that belong to our everlasting peace, before they be hide from our eyes. Give us to see in the midst of this dreadful judgement thy mercy, that we with our houses were not consumed; thou hadst dealt with us less than our sins deserved, hadst thou made an utter ruin; but thou hast plucked us as a Brand out of the fire. Awaken our Consciences, melt our hard hearts, humble us by thy chastisements; let thy goodness led us to repentance, help us to redeem the time, to improve opportunities to the glory of thy Name, the credit of the Gospel and the salvation of our poor souls in the day of the Lord. Grant these, and all other thy mercies thou best knowest we The Kings return woodcut depicting the return from exile of Charles II want, for his sake who alone is worthy, our Lord and blessed Redeemer, to whom be praise, thanksgiving and obedience rendered of us and all thine, henceforth and for ever, Amen. A Thanksgiving for the twenty ninth of May, being the day of His Majesties Birth, and happy return from Exile. MOst Holy Lord, for ever to be adored and admired in thy divine and glorious over-ruling Providence, that on this day gavest Birth to our most Gracious sovereign, and on the same day hast returned him to his undoubted Right, to the rejoicing of all loyal Christians, and to the terror of his and the Kingdoms enemies. Blessed be the God of Peace, that sent us in a Prince of peace, that hath without blood-shed been so wonderfully restored, above all the expectation of his choicest subjects, and to the amazement of his worst and most powerful enemies, to his undoubted Rights; this is the Lords doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Blessed Lord settle him in his Throne, cloath his Enemies with shane, but upon himself let his Crown flourish; bless him with a prosperous reign and a long life; enable him to see thy wonderful works to him, that all the designs of open and secret enemies have continually been blasted, and that the rod of the wicked is taken off. sanctify all his many and great sufferings, let all his aim be to rule for thee who hast preserved him, and brought him to the inheritance of his Father; give to all his subjects obedient hearts for Conscience sake; make him, holy Lord, a terror to the wicked, and an encourager of true piety and holiness. The Lord bless him in his counsels, and prosper his undertakings; let his sacred person be still precious in thine eye. Blessed be the Lord who hath raised up his Anointed, he hath been mindful of his Servant, and our King. O let thy benefits be considered by him, that he may render unto the Lord according to all his goodness, and pay all his vows which he made in trouble, since he is set at large from all his distress. Crown him with a Royal Crown him with a Royal Crown here upon earth, and let his Subjects rejoice in his happy and long reign; and when he shall go to his Fathers in peace, give him a Crown of Glory: And all this, and whatever may add to his Comfort, grant for the sake of Jesus Christ, in whose Name and Words we conclude, saying, Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, &c. Bible-Examples upon the breakers of the Ten Commandments, how they were punished with Death in several persons. 1. Pharaoh, Exodus 5. ANd Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, thus saith the Lord God of Isael, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness, vers. 1. And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go, vers. 2. Exodus 6. hen the Lord said to Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his Land, vers. 1. Exodus 12. vers. 30, 31. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, and he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from amongst my people. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might sand them out of the land in hast, vers. 33. Exodus 14. vers. 17. I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upn all his Host. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, vers. 18. And the Lord overthrew all the Host of Pharaoh that came into the Sea, there remained not so much as one of them, verss. 27, 28. Nile famed Egypt stoops unto my sword, Then whom shall I obey, who is the Lord, Proud Pharaoh said? But he that did so swell, In swelling waves the Lord sent down to Hell. 2. Jerobaom, 1 Kings 12. JEroboam took counsel, and made two Calves of Gold, and said, Behold thy Gods O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, vers. 28. 1 Kings 13. And it came to pass, when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which he had cried against the Altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the Altar, saying, Lay hold on him; and his hand which he put forth against him was dried up, vers. 4. Exodus 32. And Moses took the Calf and burnt it in the fire, &c. vers. 20. And the Children of Levi, according to the word of Moses, slay that day above three thousand, vers. 28. Whilst Moses was with God on their behalf, Ungratefull Israel rears a Golden Calf, 〈◇〉 worship it: which when good Moses spied, 〈◇〉 wrath waxed hot, and thousands of them died. 3. goliath, 1 Samuel 17. ●… Nd the Philistin said, I defy the 〈◇〉; armies of Israel this day, vers. 10▪ ●… nd the Philistin said unto David, 〈…〉 a Dog, that thou comest to me 〈◇〉; Staves? And the Philistin cur●… David by his gods, vers. 43. ●… hen said David to the Philistin, ●… u comest to me with a sword, and 〈◇〉; a spear, and with a shield: but ●… me to thee in the name of the ●… d of hosts, the God of the armies 〈◇〉; Israel whom thou hast defied, ●… s. 45. And it came to pass when the Phi●… in arose, and came, and drew ●… h to meet David, then David hast●… and ran toward the army to meet 〈◇〉; Philistin, vers. 48. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a ston, and slang it, and smote the Philistin in his forehead, that the ston sunk into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistin, with a sling and with a ston, and smote the Philistin and slay him. Leviticus 24. And the Israelitish womans son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed, &c. vers. 11. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the Camp, and let all that heard him, lay their hands upon his head, and let all the Congregation ston him, vers. 14. The Son of Shelomith blasphemed the Lord Of Host, and cursed in terms to be ahhor'd. So all that heard, laid hand upon his head, And, as they were commanded, stoned him dead. 4. ●●e man that gathered sticks upon ●… e Sabbath day, Numbers 15. ●… Nd while the Children of Israel were in the wilderness, they a man that gathered sticks up●● sabbath day, vers. 32. ●… d they that found him gather●●●… cks, brought him unto Moses ●… ron, and unto all the Congre●… vers. 33. 〈…〉 they put him in ward, because 〈…〉 not declared what should be ●… o him, vers. 34. 〈…〉 the Lord said unto Moses, The 〈…〉 all surely be put to death: all ●… ngregation shall ston him with 〈…〉 without the Camp, vers. 35. ●… s sin in the Captivity of Baby●… as to fulfil the Prophet Jeremi●… ords from the Lord, until the ●… ad enjoyed her sabbaths; for as ●… s she lay desolate, she kept the●… h to fulfil threescore and ten 2 Chron. 36.21. If he were slain upon the Sabbath day For need did gather sticks, O how shall they Escape Gods wrath, that for base pelf or pleasure, Profane Gods Sabbaths in most frequent measure. 5. Absolom rebelleth against his Father, his Death, 2 Samuel 18. ANd Absalom met the servants of David, and Absalom road upon a Mule, and the Mule went under the thick boughs of a great Oak, and his head caught hold of the Oak, and he was taken up between the Heaven and the Earth, and the Mule that was under him went away, vers. 9. And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, &c. vers. 10. Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus, and he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absolom, vers. 14. ●… nd Absolom, conspiring to defeat 〈…〉 Royal Father, of his Kingly seat; ●… ng is tangled by his prided Hair, ●… hin a three, and slain by Joabs spear. 6. Cain murders Abel, Genesis 4. ●… Nd Cain rose up against Abel his Brother, and slay him, ●… s. 8. And the Lord said unto Cain, ●… here is Abel thy Brother? And he ●… d, I know not: am I my Brothers ●… per? vers. 9. And he said, What hast thou done? ●… e voice of thy Brothers blood cry●… unto me from the ground, vers. 10. And now art thou cursed from the ●… rth, vers. 11. And Cain said, My punishment is ●… eater than I can bear, vers. 13. Joab slayeth Amasa, 2 Samuel 20. And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou ●… n health my Brother, vers. 9. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joabs hand, so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, vers. 10. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the Son of Jehoiada, saying, Go fall upon Joab, vers. 29. So Benaiah went up, and fell upon Joab, and slay him, who had slain Amasa, and Abner, vers. 34. All hale my Brother, treacherous Joab says: Yet secretly the stout Amasa slays. Deferred vengeance quitteth not the guilt, By strong Benajah, Joabs blood is spilled. 7. Zimri and Cozbi, Numbers 25. ANd Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab, vers. 1. And behold one of the Children of Israel came, and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, &c. vers. 6. And when Phineas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the Priest saw it, he rose up from amongst the Congregation, and took a Javelin in his hand, vers. 7. And he went after the man of Israel into the Tent, and thrust both of them through, vers. 8. So the Plague was stayed, And those that dyed of the Plague, were twenty and four thousand, vers. 9. Lush burning Zimri with his Moabite, Uncleanness acted in all Israels sight. Zealous Phineas so abhors the fact, That both he slaughters in the very act. 8. Achan stoned to death for theft, Joshua 7.25. ANd Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, vers. 20. When I saw amongst the spoils a goodly Babylonish Garment, and two hundred shekels of Silver, and a wedge of Gold, of fifty shekels weight: then I coveted them, and took them, and behold they are hide in the earth in the midst of my Tent, and the Silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and they took them out of the midst of the Tent, vers. 22, 23. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned all that he had, vers. 24, 25. In Achans Tent was found the cursed thing, Which to all Israel did such sorrow bring. Wherefore to stay the Lords conceived Ire, The thief with all his house was burnt with fire. 9. Jezebel is slain for suborning false witnesses against Naboth, 1 Kings 21. ANd Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy Vineyard, that I may have it for a Garden, and I will give thee for it a better Vineyard, or I will give thee the worth of it in money, vers. 2. And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the Inheritance of my Fathers unto thee, vers. 3. And Ahab came into his house heavy, and displeased, vers. 4. But Jezebel his Wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, vers. 5. And she said unto him Arise and let thine heart be merry, I will give thee the Vineyard, vers. 7. So she wrote Letters in Ahabs name, vers. 8. And there came in two men, Children of Belial, and witnessed, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the King. Then they carried him out of the City, and stoned him with stones, vers. 13. 2 Kings 9. And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window, and Jehu said, Throw her down: and some of her blood sprinkled on the wall, and on the Horses, and he trod her under foot, vers. 33. And Jehu said, This is the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall Dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. Proud Jezebel sets Naboth up on high: Suborns false witnesses, stones him by and by; Yet Divine vengeance she could not defeat, For hungry Dogs her painted carcase eat. 10. Ahab coveteth Nabotlis Vineyard, 1 Kings 21. vers. 16, &c. ANd it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the Vineyard of Naboth the Jezrelite, to take possession of it. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab King of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold he is in the Vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine, vers. 19. Dissembling Ahab covets Naboth's field, Which once obtained, the owner being killed, Th' unjust possession did him little good, That Vineyard to him proved a field of Blood. Bible-Examples of Gods severe Justice in Punishing of one Sin. For one Sin Adam and Eve were both turned out of Paradise, Genesis 3. ANd when the woman saw that the three was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a three to be desired to make one wise; she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her Husband with her, and he did eat, vers. 6. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked: and they sewed Figleaves together, and made themselves Aprons, vers. 7. And they heard the voice of the Lord God, walking in the Garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his Wife hide themselves from the presence of the Lord God, amongst the Trees of the Garden, vers. 8. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? vers. 9. And he said, I heard thy voice in the Garden: and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hide myself, vers. 10. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the three, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? vers. 11. And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the three, and I did eat, vers. 12. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? and the woman said, The Serpent beguiled me, and I did eat, vers. 13. And the Lord God said unto the Serpent; Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, vers. 14. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, and thy conception. In sorrow shalt thou bring forth Children, vers. 16. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkned unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the three, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life, vers. 17. So he driven out the man, &c. vers. 24. For one sin Cain was cast out from Gods Presence, Genesis 4. ANd Cain talked with Abel his Brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slay him, vers. 8. And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy Brother? And he said, I know not: am I my Brothers keeper? vers. 9. And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy Brothers blood crieth unto me from the ground, vers. 10 And now cursed art thou from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy Brothers blood from thy hand, vers. 11. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength: a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth, vers. 12. And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear, vers. 13. For o sin many little Children were destroyed by Bears, 2 Kings 2. ELisha went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little Children out of the City, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up thou Bald-head, go up thou Bald-head, vers. 23. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord: and there came forth two She-Bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two Children of them, vers. 24. For one sin Achan was stoned to death, Joshua 7. ANd Joshua said unto Achan, My Son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him, and tell me now what thou hast done, hid it not from me, vers. 19. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, vers. 20. When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish Garm●nt, and two hundred shekels of Silver, and a wedge of Gold of f●●ty shekels weight; then I coveted them 〈…〉 took them, and behold they 〈…〉 in the earth, in the midst 〈…〉 Tent, and the Silver under it, vers. 21. So Joshua sent Messengers, and they ran and took them out of the midst of the Tent, and brought them unto Joshua, vers. 22, 23. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan, and the Silver, and the Garment, and the wedge of Gold, and his Sons, and his Daughters, and his Oxen, and his Asses, and his Sheep, and his Tent, and all that he had: and they brought them to the Valley of anchor, vers. 24. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, vers. 25. For one sin three thousand Israelites were slain, Exodus 32. ANd Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? vers. 21. And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my Lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief, vers. 22. For they said unto me, Make us Gods which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the Land of Egypt, we wote not what is become of him, vers. 23. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any Gold, let them break it off: so they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this Calf. vers. 24. And when Moses saw that the people were naked, &c. Then Moses stood in the Gate of the Camp, and said, Who is on the Lords side? let him come unto me: and all the Sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him, vers. 25, 26. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the Camp, and slay every man his Brother, and every man his Companion, and every man his Neighbour, vers. 27. And the Children of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men, vers. 28. For one sin Jeroboams hand withered, 1 Kings 13. ANd behold there came a man of God out of Judah, by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the Altar to burn Incense, vers. 1. And he cried against the Altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O Altar, Altar, thus saith the Lord, Behold, a Child shall be born unto the House of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the Priests of the High Places, that burn Incense upon thee, and mens bones shall be burnt upon thee, vers. 2. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken: Behold the Altar shall be rent, and the Ashes that are upon it shall be poured out, vers. 3. And it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God▪ which had cried against the Altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the Altar, saying, Lay hold on him: and his hand which he put forth against him dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him, vers. 4. For one sin good Josiah dyed by the hand of an Egyptian, 2 Chron. 35. AFter all this, when Josiah had prepared the Temple, Necho King of Egypt came up to fight against Circhemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him, vers. 20. But he sent Ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou King of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make hast: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not, vers. 21. Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkned not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo, vers. 22. And the Archers shot at King Josiah, and the King said to his servants, Have me away, for I am sore wounded. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there, vers. 23, 24. For one sin fifty thousand Bethshemites were slain, 1 Samuel 6.19. ANd he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? vers. 20. For one sin Nadab and Abihu were both consumed, Levit. 10. ANd Nadab and Abihu, the Sons of Aaron, took either of them his Censer, and put fire therein, and put Incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord which he commanded them not, vers. 1. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they dyed before the Lord, vers. 2. For one sin Saul was cast out from being King, 1 Samuel 15. ANd Samuel said unto Saul, Stay and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said unto me this night, and he said Say on, vers. 16. And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the Tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee King over Israel, vers. 17. And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, &c. vers. 18. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, vers 19. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being King, vers. 23. And as Samuel turned about to go away, Saul laid hold upon the ski●t of his Mantle and it rent, vers. 27. And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the Kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a Neighbour of thine, that is better than thou, vers. 28. A Prayer for one troubled in Conscience for his Sins. MOst Great and Glorious Lord God, who hatest iniquity, unto thee I poor polluted sinner am come, not in my own name or worthiness, but in the name and worthiness of thy dearest Son. I confess, Lord, I have sinned against Heaven, and against Earth, and in thy sight, and I am no more worthy to be called a Child of God. I have forfeited all thy mercies, I have grieved thy most Holy Spirit, and gratified the Devil, and wronged my own soul; and now, Lord, I have no rest, thine Arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore; there is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger, neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sins: for mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me to bear. I have sinned, what shall I do to thee, O thou preserver of men? I will glorify thy justice, and say The Lord is just and I am a sinner. Just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints, to sand thy terrors into a soul that would not be sensible of the invitations of thy mercy, and to make me feel thy wrath who have been a great abuser of thy grace, and transgressor of thy holy Commandments. Merciful God, thou who in wrath remembrest mercy, let me find so much mercy, in and by thy wrath, that mine own wickedness may correct me, and my backslidings may reprove me; and make me know and feel that 'tis an evil and bitter thing to sin against God, and that thy fear was not in me. O Lord, I have committed two evils, I have forsaken thee the fountain of living waters, and have hewn to myself Cisterns, broken Cisterns that can hold no water; I have forsaken thee the only true good, to follow the sinful pleasures and deceitful promises of the world and the flesh, which have disappointed me of my hopes. I have treasured up wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelations of thy righteous judgements. O Lord, thou desirest not the death of a sinner, but hadst rather that he repent and live; and 'tis to recover such great sinners as I am that thou hast provided the greatest of remedies, thy most precious Son, one God with thyself and thy Spirit; who in obedience to thee, and out of mercy and compassion to us thy defaced images, hath taken upon him our weak flesh, and in it hath yielded himself to the cursed death of the across, and presented to thy sovereign justice the unvaluable price of his blood and merit, a full and perfect ransom for the greatest of sinners; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life: Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief, the great sickness of my afflicted soul sinking under the burden of sin, and so begin my cure. Grant that it may be the burden of my sins indeed that lie heavy upon me, rather than the horror of thy judgements. O teach me perfectly to hate those offences which I have committed against thee the most great and glorious God, my most watchful Protector, my most bountiful Benefactor, my tender-hearted Father, who hast not dealt with me after my sins, nor rewarded me according to mine iniquities. My God, with this loathing of my sins, give me steadfast purpose to forsake them, and to be more earnest and constant to seek to please thee, and to glorify thee in my Body and in my Spirit, which are thine, than ever I was eager to follow the sinful courses of this wicked world. Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a right spirit within me by thy sanctifying Spirit, and by the same heal now the sores of my sad soul. O Lord pardon me, Lord accept of me in thy beloved Son. Lord make me to hear of Joy and Gladness, that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoice in thy salvation, and more yet in the duties of thy service, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen. A Prayer for Comfort in time of Trouble. O Lord God, unto thee do I lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the Heavens; behold as the eyes of the Servants look unto the hands of their Master, and as the eyes of the Maiden look unto the hands of her Mistress, so mine eyes wait upon thee, O Lord God, until thou have mercy upon me; have mercy upon me, O Lord, for thy mercies sake, and graciously be pleased to assist me with thy strength, against the strength of Satan. I humbly aclowledge, O Lord, that my sins have deserved at thy hands a worse distress than any that Satan can lay upon me; But I know also that thy goodness equal unto thy almighty strength can rebuk and overcome Satan; and thy gracious Spirit can raise and revive my dejected spirit, though never so much disordered by the wicked spirit: then unto thy strength and goodness I have my humble recourse. Succour me, O Lord, take my part against Satan, and against myself. O speak unto my heart, Seek thou my face, speak it Lord, and enable my heart to say unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Lord speak the word and thy servant shall be healed; O hid not thy face far from me, put not thy servant away in anger; thou hast been my help, leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. O blessed Lord who didst heal so many diseased persons, and saidst unto them withall, Thy sins are forgiven thee: speak that comfortable word unto me a sad object of thy compassion. Thou that saidst at thy creating the world, Let light be, and it was so; speak the same word of power unto my soul lying in darkness and in the shadow of death. Work within me a new creation, the illumination of thy holy knowledge, and the light of holiness and heavenly comforts, that I may without disturbance tend the duties of thy service, and that I may see the beauty of holiness and rejoice in it, and glorify thee by my light in it. Father of mercies create in me a clean heart, renew in me a right spirit, and turn my mourning into songs of deliverance, through the merit of thy dear Son, and by the operation of thy good Spirit. Amen. A Prayer for Patience in time of Tribulation. O Eternal Lord, my God, early will I seek thee, my soul thirsteth for thee, my spirit longeth for thee as a dry and thirsty land. My God, among the many wants of my weak and disconsolate soul; so much I have yet of thy grace, that I feel my wants, that I long and pant for thee, and cannot imagine any true comfort but from thee. O Lord thou art styled the God, the God of patience and consolation; show thyself so effectually to my poor soul. When I find my faith trembling, my hope drooping, my zeal cool, and yet with these defects some grain of sincere love to thee: then strengthen thou my soul with so much patience as to teach my heart how my present Christian-Calling is not to be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, and to drink of the rivers of thy pleasures; but in that expectation to trust patiently under the shadow of thy wings, fighting the good fight of faith, resisting of the temptations of Satan, and the world, and those of my own sinful flesh, to make me a way to thee through corruptions, through afflictions and oppositions, through doubts and fears, and frailties of my sinful nature; against all these, O Lord, I beseech thee to strengthen me, especially against all the powers of Darkness. O thou that art the God of Patience, be thou to me also a God of Consolation; for unless in the multitude of my combats thy comforts refresh my soul, I cannot but faint and be finally overcome. O Lord, show thy gracious Countenance, say unto my soul, soul I am thy salvation; grant me according to the riches of thy grace, to be strengthened with all might by thy Spirit in my inward man, that Christ may dwell in my heart by faith; that being rooted and grounded in love, I may be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the breadth and length, height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge; that I may be filled with all the fullness of God: No less, O my God, do I beg at thy hands than to be filled with all thy fullness; and in my weak condition yet will I command my soul to love thee, hope in thee and praise thee; saying now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I can ask or think according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the Church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. A Grace before Meat. O God, thou art our Maker, our Preserver and our Provider, we daily taste of thy bounty, thou openest our hands, and fillest them with good things. Pardon our ingratitude, and bless thy provisions; and in the strength of them be pleased to dispose us to do thee faithful service in our several places and Relations, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen. Another. GRacious Lord God, thou renewest thy mercies every day, though our sins abound, thy goodness superabounds; we aclowledge ourselves unworthy of the least of thy favours, yet thou art pleased to spread a Table for us, and to give us our meat in due season; and by them to strengthen and refresh our frail bodies. endue our souls we pray thee with thy Holy Spirit, that we may return back unto thee the strength we receive by these thy good creatures, in a way of well-doing, to the glory of thy great name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Another. O Holy God, we look unto thee who givest us life, breath and being, 'tis of and through thy mercy we are not consumed, because thy compassions fail not: Thou art pleased to renew thy mercies every day; make us thankful in the use of thy creatures, that they may refresh our bodies, and that our fouls also may be filled with hearty endeavours to do thee true and faithful service, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. After Meat. O Lord, we thank thee for what we have and are, 'tis by thee we live, and move and have our being; thou givest us what is needful to support this present life. Continue these thy blessings we pray thee to us, and us in a faithful and hearty sense of thy love, that in the strength of thy benefits we may live to thy praise and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Another. BLessing, and honour, and praise be given to thee, our bountiful benefactor; thou continuest life, health, food and raiment whereby our bodies are comforted and refreshed; what shall we render to thee, O thou preserver of men? As thou art pleased to give us the comforts of this life, we pray thee give us hopes of better things in the other world; in the mean time bring us to a hearty obedience to thee all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Another. O Lord, as we have received from thee, so we return the praise of all to thee; we bless thee for our Creation, Preservation and all the blessings of this life; but more especially for the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ. Enable us we pray thee to continue in the way of well-doing, to thy honour and glory; and bless the Universal Church, the King, Queen and Realm, and sand us peace and truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. FINIS.