A Gold Chain of Directions, Prayers
Some Divine Prayers for Husbands and Wives, That God will be pleaſed to give them ſpiritual wiſdom and ſtrength in and by the Grace of Chriſt, for the faithful performance of their mutual Duties, that a bleſſing may be from God upon them, and their Poſterities for ever. Drawn by the Author according to the matter and end of this Gold Chain of Directions.
A Morning Prayer for the Husband or wife, or either of them, with their Family; or any other fit Perſon to Pray when the husband is abſent.
O Lord, Zach. 12.10.prepare our hearts to Prayer, and ſo aſſist us with thy holy Spirit of Prayer and Supplication, Rom. 8.26, 27.that our Prayers may be acceptable, Rev. 8.3, 4.and we may receive a gracious Anſwer in and for the ſweet Incenſe and Merits of the Lord Jeſus Christ, our bleſſed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
O eternal, Deut. 32.27.moſt gratious, merciful; everlaſting, everliving, Exod. 34.6, 7. Jer. 10.11. 1 Tim. 1.17. Iſaiah 46.9, 10. Rom. 8.28. Rom. 11.33, 34, 35, 36.and only wiſe God, who ordereſt all things according to the Counſel of thy own moſt juſt and holy Will, and diſpoſeſt of all for thy own eternal Glory, and the eternal good of thy Church and Children in Chriſt Jeſus, of whom may we ſeek for Protection, and ſafety of Soul or Body, or any other bleſſing, but of thee our God and heavenly Father, in our Saviour Chriſt; from whom cometh every good and perfect Gift, James 1.17.with whom is no variableneſs, nor ſhadow of turning. The laſt night we durſt not lay down our eyes to ſleep, Pſal. 132.4.nor ſuffer the temples of our head to take any reſt, until we had begged thy gratious Providence, for preſervation of us and ours in particular, and of thy whole Church in general. And thou, O bleſſed God, (who art the hearer of Prayer) haſt in thine abundant goodneſs heard our Prayer, Pſal. 65.2. Pſal. 66.18, 19, 20.and brought us to the light of this day, bleſsed be thy great and glorious Name; thou mighteſt, O Lord, in thy Justice have conſumed us [by Fire] to aſhes, Exod. 12.29, 30.and made our Beds our Graves; One or more of us might have been ſtricken with ſome terrible tormenting Sickneſs; we might have been found dead in our Beds (as many have been); many other miſeries might have befallen us; But in thy great mercy thou haſt ſpared us, Lam. 3.22, 23.and renewed thy mercies to us this Morning: What ſhall we render to thy heavenly Majesty, for thy Favours? And now we dare not adventure into the World, without intreating thy Protection and Bleſſing in and upon our juſt and lawful Endeavours; We confeſs, O Lord, we are not worthy the leaſt of all thy mercies, Geneſis 32.10.and thy loving-kindneſſes which from time to time thou haſt ſhewed to thy Servants; We acknowledge we have not been ſenſible of that original corruption of our depraved Natures, Eph. 2.1, 2, 3.and our proneneſs to Sin, drawn from our firſt Parents, corrupted by their lamentable Fall; Geneſis 3.6, 7. Geneſis 6.5.nor have we humbled our ſelves in ſence of this our miſery, as we ſhould have done; we have not kept our Hearts with all diligence, out of which are the iſſues of death: Prov. 4.23But our Hearts have followed our Eyes, beholding Vanity, Jer. 4.14. Pſal. 141.3.and vain thoughts have too long lodged within us. We have not ſet a watch, O Lord, before our Lips, and kept the doors of our Mouths, but many idle, unprofitable, ſinful words (for which we muſt anſwer at the Day of Judgment) have been uttered by us, to thy diſhonour, Mat. 12.36and evil example of others; yea, Eph. 4.4, 29, 30.too many times corrupt Communications, to the grief of thy holy Spirit: Pſal. 39.1. Pſal. 119.67.We have not taken heed to our Feet, to walk in the right wayes of thee, O Lord, but gone aſide from the Pathes of thy Commandements, and ſo have been guilty of many actual tranſgreſſions, both in thought, word and deed, breaking thy moſt righteous Lawes; We have failed in the Duties of our ſeveral particular Relations, as Husband to Wife, and Wife to Husband, Parents to Children, and Children to Parents, Masters or Dames to Servants, and Servants to them; not performing our Duties in the fear of God, as we ought to have done. We have not walked as becometh Chriſtians towards others, nor done as we would they ſhould do to us (according to that Golden Rule of our bleſſed Saviour). Mat. 7.12.Phil. 1.27.So that by our good Converſation, as becometh the Goſpel of Chriſt, others might have been ſtirred up to glorifie thee our heavenly Father: Mat. 5.16.So that if thou ſhouldest enter into judgment with us, O Lord, Pſal. 143.2.how can we be juſtified by any our own righteouſneſs in thy preſence: Phil. 3.9, 10.O then! behold us we humbly beſeech thee in the face of thy Son Jeſus Chriſt, as waſhed clean by his Blood, and accepted by his Merits, Mat: 3.17.He it is in whom thou art well pleaſed, Acts 5.31.and him thou haſt exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give Repentance to Iſrael, and remiſſion of Sins. Pſal. 19.12Oh give us true Repentance for all the Errours of our Lives paſt for Chriſt's ſake, and grant that being delivered out of the hands of all our Enemies, Luke 1.74, 75.we may ſerve thee without fear of them in righteouſneſs and true holineſs all the days of our lives: Bleſs with us we pray thee all our Friends, Pſal. 35.11, 12, 13, 14. Mat. 5.11.and change the Hearts of our Enemies, make them our Friends (if it be thy will); be gracious to our Children and Servants, make our Children thy Children, our Servants thy Servants, Iſa. 41.8.and our Friends thy Friends. Lev. 19.17.Let us reprove, we pray thee, and not give evil example, Eph. 5.11.nor ſuffer our Children or Servants to be prophane Swearers or Curſers, Lyars, Drunkards, or unjust; Joh. 13.15. Pſal. 101.6, 7.But grant that we may be good examples, and that they may be faithful in the Land, ſuch as thy ſervant David would have; make them religious, like faithful Abraham's ſervant, praying when they are ſent about our occaſions, Lord ſend me good ſpeed this day, Geneſis 24.12.that we and they may be bleſſed. Bleſs with us thy univerſal Church ſcattered thorough out the whole World; Be gracious we pray thee to the Nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland, poure down thy bleſſings upon the Kings moſt excellent Majesty, with his Royal Conſort the Queen, and all the Royal Family, preſerve Him and Them from all His, 1 Tim. 2.1, 2.Their and our Enemies; Bleſs all the honourable Nobility, the Reverend faithful Miniſters of the Goſpel in their ſeveral places, with all the Magiſtrates, Gentry, and Commons of the Land, and inable us thy humble ſervants rightly and juſtly to do our Duty to all our Superiours, 1 Pet. 2.17.Inferiours and Equals; and to this end increaſe, we moſt humble intreat thy Majeſty, all neceſſary Graces in all our ſouls: Give us, we beſeech thee, a daily ſupply and increaſe of Divine Knowledge, and heavenly Wiſdome. Lord increaſe our Faith, Luk. 17.5.and give us ſuch a Faith as purifieth the Heart, Acts 15.9.and worketh by Loves Give us true Converſion from all our ſins, Gal. 5.6.2 Cor. 7.10.and Repentance to Salvation, not to be repented of. And adorn, we humbly pray thee, Eccl. 12.7.our immortal Souls with thoſe excellent Graces of true Chriſtian Charity, 1 Cor. 13.1, 2, 3, 4, &c.Chaſtity, Sobriety, Temperance, and holy Moderation; with ſubmiſſive contentment unto and with thy Divine will and pleaſure in every diſpenſation of thy Divine Providence; 1 Peter 5.8.1 Theſſ. 4.3, 4. Phil. 4.5.inable us to wait upon thee in Faith, Acts 21.14. Job 14.14.with patience all the Days of our appointed time, until our change come. It is in thy power, O Lord, to change Poverty into Riches, Enemies to Friends, Sickneſs into Health, Death into Life; Thou canſt kill and make alive at thy pleaſure. 1 Sam. 2.7, 8. Pſal. 63.3, 4, 5.O ſatisfie our ſouls with thy loving-kindneſs in thy Ordinances, and living Graces, and eſpecially with a lively Hope of immortality by the Reſurrection of Chriſt from the Dead, 1 Pet. 1.3, 4.and that Inheritance which fadeth not. O cauſe thy love to be ſhed abroad in our Hearts by the holy Ghoſt; Rom. 5.5.give us that peace of God which paſſeth all underſtanding, & let the Love of Chriſt conſtrain us to live henceforth not to our ſelves, but to Him who died for us, and roſe again, That when He ſhall appear at the last day, Col. 3.4.we may appear with Him in Glory. O moſt bleſſed God! ſtrengthen us, we pray thee, with thy ſpecial Grace, for the performance of our works in our particular Family-Duty according to our Places and Callings in thy fear, and in love one to another; Husband and Wife, Eph. 6.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, &c.Parents and Children, Maſters and Servants: Make, Lord, our Children thy Children, our Servants thy Servants, our Friends thy Friends; and bleſs them and us in all our, and their righteous Labours this day, and all the dayes of our lives; eſpecially thoſe who have deſired, or deſerved our Prayers; requite and return all their loving favours a thouſand fold into their Boſome; ſuccour, we moſt humbly pray thee, all thy Children in any manner of Affliction. Let the good will of him that dwelt in the Buſh, dwell with them; Exod. 3.2. Deut. 33.16. Amos 4.12.prepare us to meet thee in whatſoever tryal thou ſhall prove our Faith, and any other graces with, and give to us, and all thine a happy Deliverance out of all in thy doe time and ſeaſon; and preſerve us all in Bodies and Souls to thy heavenly Kingdom: 2 Tim. 4.18.We moſt humbly beg theſe, and whatſoever thou in thy Divine Wiſdome knoweſt to be needful for us, or any of thine, in the Name, and for the Merits of our bleſſed Saviour: And in that Prayer he hath taught us, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.
An Evening Prayer for Husband and Wife, and either of them, with their Family; or any other fit Perſon in the Husbands abſence.
O Moſt might and powerful Lord our God, who art the great Creator, and high Poſſeſſor of Heaven and Earth, Gen. 14.19. Gen. 17.1.the All-ſufficient God, and gracious Ruler of the whole World, who art the Lord God, glorious in holineſs, dreadful in Praiſes, doing wonders: Exod. 15.11.Thou art the Lord ſtrong, merciful, and gracious, abundant in goodneſs and truth, forgiving Iniquity, Tranſgreſſion and Sin; Exod. 34.6.7.and who wilt not hold the wicked innocent: Thou even thou art to be feared, and who may ſtand in thy ſight when thou art angry? Pſal. 76.7yet thou art gracious to thy Children, ſhewing mercy unto thouſands of them that love thee, and are careful to keep thy Commandements. Thou preſerveſt the Feet of thy Saints, and haſt preſerved us thy unworthy ſervants this day: 1 Sam. 2.9.O let our Prayers come before thee as Incenſe, and the lifting up of our hands be as an Evening Sacrifice, Pſal. 141.2.a Sacrifice of Praiſe and Thanksgiving for the mercies of this day, thou haſt kept us ſafe at home and abroad, thou haſt bleſſed us in our juſt and honeſt occaſions and endeavors: If any thing now, Gen. 24.12, 27.or at any time hath fallen out croſs to our deſires, Pſal. 119.7.thou, oh our good God, dideſt ſee it good for us to be afflicted; that we might be put in mind of our going wrong, and our too great ingratitude of former dayes mercies: But we acknowledge thy goodneſs, thy mercies to us, and thy people of old; and thy glorious Name, Neh. 9.5.hath been far above and beyond all our Thanksgiving and Praiſe; yea, that unſpeakable Gift of thy mercy; namely, John 3.16.thy only begotten Son, who hath made a gracious Promiſe, that whatſoever thy ſervants ſhall ask of thee in his Name, John 16.23.it ſhall be granted us. This emboldens us, bleſſed Father, humbly to ſupplicate thee, who art ſo full of compaſſion, to paſs by all our Tranſgreſſions, Micah 7.18, 19.and to ſubdue all our Iniquities, and pardon all our Sins of Ignorance and Knowledge, of weakneſs and willfulneſs, of Omiſſion and Commiſſion; Take away our iniquity, and receive us gratiouſly in and for Chriſt, and we ſhall render to thee the Calves of our Lips; Hoſea 4.2.yea, not of our Lips alone, but of our Hearts, and of our whole Souls and Bodies, a holy, living and acceptable Sacrifice of Obedience in Chriſt Jeſus. Rom. 12.1, 2.Thou, O Lord, art the Fountain, Author and Giver of all Grace, increaſe thy Graces in us, we moſt humbly beſeech thee, that we may be better inabled to perform our duties to thee our God, and to our Neighbours in general, and one to another in our particular Callings and Relations, Husband to Wife, and Wife to Husband, in true Conjugal love, Parents to Children; Exodus 20.12. Eph. 6.2, 3.in & for the Lord; Children to Parents in due honour, that the bleſſing of long & happy life may be their portion, according to thy promiſe: Maſters to Servants, Eph. 6.9as knowing they have a Maſter in Heaven; and Servants to Maſters in ſingleneſs of heart, as unto Chriſt; not with Eye-ſervice, as men-pleaſers, Eph. 6.5, 6, 7, 8.but as the ſervants of Chriſt, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will doing ſervice as to the Lord, and not to men, that of the Lord they may receive the reward of Inheritance, Col. 3.24.becauſe in doing faithful ſervice, according to God's will, they ſerve the Lord Chriſt. Forgive, we pray thee our Enemies, and bleſs our Friends. Now thou, O Lord, art the Keeper of Iſrael, who neither ſlumbreſt nor ſleepeſt; Except thou, O Lord, Pſal. 127.1, 2.keep the City, the watchman waketh but in vain: It is in vain to riſe up early, and late take reſt, and eat the bread of carefulneſs, Pſal. 3.5: Pſal. 4.8.except the Lord bleſs our Labours. Neither can we ly down and ſleep, and take our reſt, except the Lord ſuſtain us; except thou, O Lord, make us to dwell in ſafety. Therefore now we come unto thee, O heavenly Father, moſt humbly beſeeching thee to embrace us in the everlaſting Armes of thy Mercy, Deut. 33.27.and to take us with all ours, and all thine, into thy holy Protection this Night: Give us that comfortable ſleep and quiet reſt in our Beds, Pſalm 4.8.that we being refreſhed by thy goodneſs, may be better inabled to do thee faithful ſervice in our ſeveral Places, Vocations and Callings; if it pleaſe thee to continue, and preſerve our Lives and Healths the next day to our comforts, and the glory of thy Name. O our moſt bleſſed God, we beſeech thee, preſerve with us thy Catholick Church all over the World, eſpecially that part of thy Church in theſe Nations: Keep from all dangers, we humble pray thee, our moſt gracious King, Ezra 6.10.give him a long life to thy glory; Bleſſe his Royal Queen, and the whole Royal Family, and preſerve, we beſeech thee, all the honourable Nobility, the Reverend and faithful Miniſtery in their ſeveral places; the righteous Judges and Magiſtrates, with all the Gentry and Commons of the Land: Give all Wiſdome and Power to honour thy Majeſty in their Places and Orders in which thou haſt ſet them, to do thee ſervice. Bleſs we pray thee, the ſeveral Cities, Towns, and Countries in the Kingdome, keep them and us out of the hand of all our Enemies, That under his Sacred Majeſty, we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlineſſe and honeſty. 1 Tim. 2.1, 2.Be gracious unto all thy Faithful Servants under any manner of affliction, by Sea or by Land, at Liberty, or in Reſtraint; in Poverty, or in Riches; in Sickneſs, or in Health; eſpecially any that are known to us, or who have deſired our Prayers, Eph. 6 18, 19.ſanctifie thy afflicting Hand unto them, that they may receive the peaceable fruit of Righteouſneſſe, when they are ſufficiently exerciſed thereby, Heb. 12.11and in every temptation ſtrengthen them to bear, 1 Cor. 10.13.and in due time make a way for them to eſcape. Prepare us all for thoſe eternal Habitations, thoſe bleſſed Manſions, which Christ our Saviour hath prepared for us in Heaven. John 14.12.Grant O Lord of glory, Eph. 1.17.that we may be ſo prepared like wiſe Virgins, Mat. 25.1, 2, &c.with Oyl in our Lamps, that whenſoever the Lord Jeſus, our heavenly Bride-Groom, with his glorious Angels ſhall come to Judgment, at Midnight, Mat. 25.6.at Cock-Crowing, or in the Dawning; we may be admitted to enter in with him in to that bleſſed heavenly Kingdome of eternal happineſs. Thus by Prayer and Supplication, with Thankſgiving, we have made our Requeſt known unto thee, our heavenly and moſt gratious Father. O let the peace of God, Phil. 4.6, 7.which paſseth all underſtanding, keep our Hearts and Minds in the knowledge and love of God, through our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. To whom with thy heavenly Majeſty, and thy bleſſed Spirit, be aſcribed all Glory and Honour, Might, Soveraignty and Dominion, Victory and Salvation, this night and for evermore. Amen.
Prov. 19.14.
Houſe and Riches are the Inheritance of Fathers; but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Therefore I deſire the Husband, that he will pray to the Lord to beſtow amongſt other Graces, this Grace of heavenly prudence upon his wife, and increaſe it in them both, that they may be happy. Again, I deſire that both Husband and Wife, will be careful to remember and practice (by the Grace of Chriſt) that Counſel of that great Apoſtle St. Peter, 1 Pet. 3.7. Husbands dwell with your Wives according to knowledge, giving honour to the Wife, as unto the weaker Veſſel; and as being Heirs together of the grace of Life, that your prayers be not hindred. (Your mutual prayers one for another); for a virtuous wife will be a Helper to her Husband (Gen. 2.18.) and will do him good (by her prayers, as well as otherwiſe) and not evil all the days of her life, as wiſe King Solomon witneſſeth, Pro. 31.12.
A ſpecial Cloſet, or ſecret, Prayer of a Husband, for himſelf, and his Wife, and Children, and Family, that God will be pleaſed to inable them to perform their mutual Duties to each other in the fear of God, and by God's bleſſing live lovingly together during their lives, to be prayed together or aſunder.
O Moſt bleſsed and gracious good God, 1 Tim. 1.11.my moſt merciful and loving Father in Chriſt Jeſus, 1 Tim. 6.14, 15, 16.Gen. 1.1, 2.who in thy appointed time didſt make the Heaven and Earth, Pſal. 136.5, 6.and Creatures in the World, and in a ſpecial manner create our firſt Parents, Adam and Eve, after thy own likeneſs, in Righteouſneſs and true Holineſs, Gen. 1.27.and in the time of their innocency didſt Marry them together, Gen. 2.20, 21, 22, 23, 24.and inſtitute the holy eſtate of Marriage, which is a myſtical repreſentation of that ſpiritual Marriage and Union between Chriſt and his Church; Hoſea 2.19, 20.Eph. 5.32.thou, O our heavenly Father, in thy Divine Wiſdom, and gracious Providence haſt been pleaſed to bring me, thy unworthy ſervant, and my beloved wife, into this high and honourable eſtate; I confeſs, O Lord, I am now fully enformed, that there are many duties required by thy holy Word incumbent upon me at a Husband, John 15.….and upon her as a Wife, which by our own ſtrength we are not able to performe as we ought, 2 Cor. 3.5.that thy Divine Majeſty might have the glory, and we thy unworthy ſervants may have the joy and comfort in our married eſtate; and although we are taught out of thy Word, that in Chriſt, our bleſſed Saviour, there is both Wiſdom and ſtrength and grace, Col. 2.3. Phil. 4.13.to be communicated to thy ſervants for the performance of every duty in any condition: and that Chriſt our Redeemer hath promiſed; That if we ſeek, we ſhall find; if we knock, it ſhall be opened unto us: James 1.5, 6. James 5.16. John 16.23.If we pray with Faith and Fervency, and in his Name, our Petitions ſhall be granted. Yet I thy humble ſervant confeſs, for my part, that I have not knocked at Heaven doors for wiſdom and ſtrength for myſelf and my wife, that we might be inabled rightly, and in the fear of God, and in true love to perform our mutual duties to each other, as becometh thy Children. And I fear my dear wife hath failed in like manner, Iſaiah 63.15, 16. Iſaiah 64.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.at leaſt that we have not ſought this grace of thee, O heavenly Father, with that ſight and ſence of our own weakneſs: And of that need of this wiſdome and power, and ſo not with that earneſtneſs, or with thoſe fervent groans and ſighs, Rom. 8.26, 27.or tears, in our prayers, nor with that wraſtling like Jacob with God in Chriſt for this mercy as we ſhould have done, Gen. 32.24, 25, 26. Hoſea 12.3, 4. 1 Sam. 1.15.nor poured out our ſoul to God like Hannah; and therefore if any diſcomfort or diſagreement have fallen out between us, we may well thank our ſelves, that we have not had wiſdome and power to do better; 1 Chron. 15.13.becauſe we have not ſought them at God's hand, James 4.2, 3.or not in a right manner; for although thou God doeſt freely promiſe Bleſſings to his Church, yet he will be enquired of, Ezek. 36.37.and pray'd unto by his Children for his Graces, or any the like mercies. O therefore moſt gracious Father, I moſt humbly intreat thee, give … me and my wife truly humble and penitent and contrite hearts, Mic. 6.6. Iſaiah 57.15, 16.for this and all our former failings, and give us wiſdome and ſtrength of grace for the time to come, rightly to perform our duties to thee our God, and mutually one to another whilſt we live, that ſo our Marriage may be a joyful and Christian-like merry-age indeed, Prov. 5.18, 19, 20, 21.to thy glory and our comfort, to the end of our lives. O then give us grace, I most humbly beſeech thee, to fly all occaſions of diſcord or diſagreement, that there may never be any ſuch breach between us thy Servants, as there hath been between too many Husbands and Wives in the World. Let it be far from us upon any diſcontent, unkindly to ſeparate one from another, 1 Cor. 7.5.except it be with conſent for a time, that we may give our ſelves to faſting and prayer, and come together again willingly and joyfully, as we ought to do. And if either of us have failed in our Choice, in not following the Apoſtles Rule, to have been careful to marry in the Lord, or any other Scripture Directions to have been conſidered better before hand, 1 Cor. 7.39.for our comfortable Communion in Marriage; I moſt humbly beg pardon for that which is paſt for the Merits ſake of my dear Redeemer. And now, O bleſſed Lord, give us thy heavenly Grace, that we may follow the Directions of thy moſt holy word ſet before us, Pſal. 119.105.and truly and religiouſly ſeek by all good means the eternal Salvation of both our Souls, that we may be happy here and hereafter. O give us wiſdome to cheriſh love, and increaſe it in one towards and with the other. And let there be no bitterneſs between us in word or deed, give us contentedneſs of mind with our preſent Condition; 1 Tim. 6.6, 7, 8.Keep us truly faithful to each other, according to our Marriage-Covenant, in obedience to thy Command, and fear of thy heavenly Majeſty, who art preſent in all places, and before whoſe all-ſeeing-eyes all things are open and naked that we have done or ſhall do all the dayes of our lives: Jer. 23.23.Give us I moſt humbly intreat thee, Heb. 4.13. Prov. 6.34, 35. Cant. 8.6.wiſdome and power to avoid all occaſions of jealouſie, that our hearts may truly truſt one another in the Lord, Numb. 5.14.that peace and happineſs may be our portion all our dayes; help us by thy ſpirits grace to pray one for another, and to ſeek thy bleſſing upon our ſelves, and for our Children, which thou haſt or ſhalt in thy goodneſs graciouſly give thy Servants, Gen. 33.5.inable us to bring them up in the fear and nurture and admonition of thee O Lord, that they may fear and honour thee as their heavenly Father, Prov. 1.7. Prov. 10.27.and obey us as is fit in thee our Lord as their earthly Parents, that a bleſſing may be upon us, and upon them and their Poſterity to many Generations: If it be thy bleſſed will, bleſs I pray thee our Servants, and our ſubſtance which thou haſt or ſhalt beſtow upon us. It is thy bleſſing, Prov. 10.22.O Lord, which maketh rich, and addeth no ſorrow with it. Be gracious, I moſt humbly beſeech thee, to thy Church thorough the World: Bleſſe theſe Nations, and in them our moſt gracious King, and his Royal Queen, with his Royal Family, and his Kingdoms, with all Eſtates and Orders of Men in Church and in Common wealth: Grant, O Lord, that Truth and Peace, Zach. 8.19.Righteouſneſs and Love, with the Goſpel of Peace, may be a bleſſing to theſe Nations, to Us and Ours to the end of the World, if it be thy bleſſed will and pleaſure. Hear thy unworthy Servant, moſt merciful God, and grant that what I have asked according to thy Will, and whatſoever elſe thou knoweſt neceſſary for this life, or that happy life to come; I moſt humbly beg them further, in that Prayer which Chriſt Jeſus hath taught us, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.
A ſpecial Cloſet, or ſecret Prayer for a Wife to ſeek the Lord for her Self and her Husband and Family, that they may have grace and ſtrength from God, through Chriſt, to perform their mutual Duties to each other, live happily together, and enjoy Gods bleſſing upon them and theirs for ever.
O Moſt loving God, Iſa. 63.16.and my moſt tender Father in Jeſus Chriſt; Thou art Love, and thy holy Spirit hath witneſsed, that he who dwelleth in Love, 1 Joh. 4.16.dwelleth in thee, O God, and thou in him; thou who didſt require by thy bleſſed Son Jeſus, Mat. 5.44.That we ſhould love our Enemies; Eph. 5.25.and much more our Friends, Husbands their Wives, Titus 2.and Wives their Husbands, and thoſe that are near related unto them. Behold, 1 Sam. 1.11.I thy unworthy Hand-Maid, a woman feeble in devotion, 1 Pet. 3.7.the weaker Veſſel, who ſtandeth in great need of thy ſtrength, and the help of thy ſpirit of grace, Rom. 8.26.to inable me to ſeek thy face, Pſal. 27.8.which I ſhould be fearful to do, but that thou haſt not ſaid to the Seed of Jacob, Iſa. 45.19.Seek my Face in vain; yea, thou haſt promiſed, they that ſeek thee early ſhall find thee. O let me find thee gracious Lord this day, Prov. 8.17.and find help from thee in time of need. Heb. 4.16.Thou in thy moſt wiſe Providence haſt brought me into the Covenant-Bonds of holy Marriage with my dearly beloved Husband; Mal. 2.14, 15.we have taken one another for better or for worſe, for richer or for poorer, to love and to cheriſh one another in ſickneſſe and in health, and to keep us faithful to each other until death ſeparate us; I find by direction from thy word, that there are many duties both proper to each, and common both to Husband and Wife, which by experience we may find without ſtrength of grace from thee in thy Chriſt our Saviour, we are not able to fulfil, our very Natures are corrupt, Pſal. 53.1, 2, 3.and we are ſubject ſometimes to fretting paſſions, provocations, and vain deſires; 1 Sam. 1.6. Iſa. 32.4.yea, ſubject to raſhneſs, and raſh anger, peeviſh diſcontent, Act. 19.36. Pro. 21.19. Pro. 25.24.contention and frowardneſs; yea, and many times (at leaſt too often) and upon light occaſions, when we ſhould be amiable, kind, and loving to each other, 2 Tim. 3.6. Pro. 11.20. Eph. 4.31, 32.with content and quietneſs; and without thy ſpecial Grace, we cannot bridle theſe unruly Diſtempers of our ſpirits: It is in great danger, …. 12.3.we did think better of our ſelves and of each other in our Choice, then we find by proof to have fallen out ſince our Marriage-union, it is well if we had right grounds of our Love to each other, and that it was not rather for by-reſpects, then for the true ends of marriage; namely, that we might be true and meet Helpers one to another for this and a better life. Gen. 2.20.O Lord, I thy moſt humble Servant, moſt earneſtly beg pardon, Iſa. 55.7.if either of us failed in any of theſe reſpects (as I fear we did). Now yet there is mercy, O Lord, in thy Chriſt to encourage us boldly to come to thy Throne of Grace: And therefore now, O Father, let the bowels of thy mercy be moved towards us, Iſa. 63.15.and give us thoſe neceſſary Graces, by which we may be inabled to walk towards thee our God, and one towards an other as becomes the honourable eſtate of marriage. I bleſs thy moſt holy Name, O Lord, that thou haſt kept and preſerved thy Servant (and I am well aſſured my dear Husband) from thoſe dreadful Vices which do ſo highly diſhonour this honourable estate. Gen. 20.6.In whatſoever we have failed, give pardon unto us, I moſt humbly intreat thee, O Father, in Chriſt our bleſſed Advocate, 1 Joh. 2.1, 2.and heal our Natures, that we may henceforth truly evidence our ſincere love one to another, and keep, I beſeech thee, that raſh, impatient, unadviſed, immoderate anger, nor any other distemper may prove a root of bitterneſs ſprung up between us; Eph. 4.26.Let not the Sun go down upon any ſuch wrath, but that we may ſleep quietly and lovingly together: And preſerve me, I beſeech thee, with thy Grace, that I may not by any unadviſed words or deeds, provoke my Husband to do that which may prove ſorrow, diſcomfort and diſprofit to us both. But give me wiſdome at all times, when any thing is ſaid, 1 Sam. 25.25, 26, 27, to 38.done, or doing, contrary to the Rules of Love between Husband and Wife, that I may endeavour by all fair means, in love and by ſweet allurements or perſwaſions to prevent any evil, or further him in any good work whatſoever: And, I beſeech thee, my God, make me wiſe as Abigail, to know how and when to ſpeak to him for thy Glory, and the mutual good of us, and all ours; enable me to give him that reverence and honour which is due to him, Eph. 5.33.as my Lord and Husband; and give to him that gracious affection towards me, that he may give me that loving reſpect and honour which is due to me as the weaker Veſsel; 1 Pet. 3.7.that he may dwell with me as a man of knowledge, and we may live together as Heirs of the Grace of Life, that our Prayers be not hindred. Give him, O Lord, wiſdome with thy bleſſing, and a faithful provident endeavour to provide for his own, Rom: 12.17.for them of his own houſe, as a Husband and a Chriſtian ought to do. 1 Tim. 5.8.And grant to me wiſdome and grace to look well to the wayes of my Houſhold; that I may do my Husband good and not hurt all the dayes of my life. Prov. 31.12, 27.Bleſs, O Lord, the Children and the Family which thou hast or ſhalt of thy goodneſs bestow upon us; Let our Children be as perpetual Pledges of Love between us; make them thy Children, I most humbly pray thee: Lord, inable us with care and conſcience, to be provident for the pious and virtuous Education of our Children, Prov. 31.28.according to our Estate and Callings, that they may riſe up and call us bleſſed; I beſeech thee bleſſe our Eſtate, that we may provide for them a comfortable Living in ſome honourable or honeſt Callings while we live; and when thou ſhalt take us from them, take them for thy Children, and give them in thy due time that Inheritance, in which they ſhall be bleſſed and happy for ever. And put thy holy fear into the Hearts of our Servants, that they may firſt ſerve thee faithfully, and then they will ſerve us honeſtly and justly all the time of their habitation with us. Be gracious to thy beloved Children all over the Earth, Iſa 63.9.comfort the afflicted Members of Jeſus Chriſt, whereſoever or howſoever diſtreſſed amidſt the Kingdomes of the World, Iſa. 12.13.exalt the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour; Bleſs our moſt gracious King, the Queens Majeſty, the Royal Family with all the Eſtates and Orders of Men in Church and Common-wealth; preſerve the Goſpel of Peace, Eph. 6.15:and the Peace of the Goſpel, in theſe Nations, until Chriſt come to Judgment if it be thy bleſsed will. Remember in mercy all our Relations, and eſpecially all ſuch who ever have deſired, or deſerved our Prayers; Prepare us all for Eternity, for Chriſt's ſake, in whoſe name I thy unworthy Mandmaid beg theſe and all needful Mercies, in that Prayer which our bleſſed Saviour gave his Diſciples, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.
BEloved, if any Man or Womans Devotion be ſo ſtrict, as to think theſe Prayers too long, let them ſearch if any thing be begged of God, which neither they nor any they ought to pray for want, they may paſs over that Petition.
And if there want any Petition for any particular thing not prayed for, they may add that Petition if they pleaſe, according to their preſent occaſions. The Lord hear, and give a bleſſing. All glory be to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, now and for ever. Amen.
So prayers your Servant in Chriſt, Immanuel Bourne.
FINIS.
End of the text · Immanuel Bourne, A Gold Chain of Directions (1669)