A Christian Library — Richard Younge

A Christian Library · Richard Younge

A two-fold PRAYER for the Morning and for the Evening, as also another to be said at any time.

Jer. 10.25.

Pour out thy fury upon them that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name.

Psal. 145.18. Rom. 10.12.

The Lord is nigh and rich unto all that call upon him in truth.

Isa. 65.24.

Before they call I will answer, and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear.

Jer. 33.3.

Call unto me and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

1 Joh. 5.14.

If wee ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

Joh. 16.23. Mat. 21.22.

Whatsoever yee shall ask the Father in my Name, believing, he will give it you.

Psal. 55.17.

Evening and Morning, and at Noon will I pray.

A PRAYER for the Morning. O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray.

O Most glorious LORD GOD, and in JESUS CHRIST our most merciful and loving Father; in whom wee live, and move, and have our being; in the multitude of thy mercies we desire to approach unto thee, from whom all good things do proceed; who knowest our necessities befo…e we ask, and our ignorance in asking. It is true, O Lord, if we should consider onelyonly our own unworthiness, and how we have heretofore abused thy goodnesse and long-suffering towards us; wee might rather despair with Iudas, and like Adam run from thee, then dare to approach thy glorious presence. For we confesse, O Lord, to the shame and confusion of our own faces, that—

—as we brought a world of sinne into the World with us, and deserved to dye so soon as wee began to live; so ever since that thou hast spared us, we have done nothing but add sinne unto sinne, as thou hast added mercy to mercy: For we have been no lesse rebellious unto thee, then thou hast been beneficiall unto us. We do daily and hourely break all thy commandements, adding unto that our originall corruption which we were conceived and borne in, all manner of actuall transgressions, by sins of Omission, sins of Commission, sinnes of Ignorance, sinnes of Knowledg, sinnes against conscience; yea, sinnes of Presumption and Willfulness, and that in thought, word, and deed. We have sinned against thy Law, and against thy Gospel, against thy mercies, and against thy judgments, against the many warnings, and the abundance of meanes, afforded by thee to reclaime us, against the spirit of grace cotinually knocking at the doors of our hearts, with infinite checks and holy motions, Our eares have been alwaies open to the Tempter, shut unto thee; we have abused our eyes to wantonnesse, our mouthes to filthynesse, and our feet have been swift to all evill, slow to ought that is good.

And as wee have committed one sinne on the neck of another, so we have multiplyed, and many times repeated them, by filling often into the same wickednesse, whereby our sinnes are become for number, as the sands of the Sea, and as the Stars of Heaven.

Yet …

Yet most most merciful Father, being that thou hast given thy Son, and thy Son himself for the ransome of so many as shall truly repent, and unfainedly believ in him, who hath for our sakes fulfilled all righteousness; yea, suffered on the Crosse, and there made full satisfaction for the sins of all thine Elect.

And seeing thou hast appointed Praier, as one special means for the obtaining of thy grace, unto which thou hast annexed this comfortable promise, that where two or three be gathered together in thy Name, thou wilt be in the midst of them, and grant their requests; and since our Redeemer hath assured us, that whatsoever we shall ask thee in his name, thou wilt give it us:

We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God for grace, that we may be able to repent and believe.

Wherefore for thy promise sake, for thy Sons sake, and for thy great Names sake, we beseech thee send down thy holy Spirit into our souls, regenerate our hearts, change and purifie our natures, subdue our reason, rectifie our judgments, strengthen our wills, renew our affections, put a stop to our madding and straying fancies, beat down in us whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Jesus Christ; and enable us in some measure, both to withstand that which is evil, and perform that which is good and pleasing in thy sight.

Yea give us repentance never to be repented of, and possess our souls with such a dreadfull awe of thy Majesty, that we may fear as well to commit small sins as great ones considering that the least sin is mortall without our repentance, & thy mercy: as wel fear to sin-in secret as openly, since thereis nothing hid from thee: as well condemne our selves for evill thoughts as evill deeds, considering that the Law is spirituall, binding the heart no lesse then the hands; as well abstain from the occasions of sin, as sin it self; and consider that it is not enough, to abstain from evill, unlesse wee hate it also, and do the contrary good.

And now O Lord, since thou hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day, we beseech the to defend, and dierct us in the same: and as thou hast blest us in our lying down, and in our rising up, so protect & prosper us in our going forth, & in our coming home: shield and deliver us from the snares of the Hunter, who lieth in waite for our souls; and is continually labouring our everlasting destruction. And no lesse arm us against the allurements of the world, wherein we shall meet with many provocations, and temptations: and that we may not lead our selvs, nor be led into temtation; give us wisdome to beware of men, even of associating our selves with the vitious, like Ioseph: lest otherwise with David, we be drawn to dissemble: or with Peter, to deny thee: for sin is of a catching, and infectious quality: and our corrupt hearts are like tinder, which will kindle with the least spark: especially O Lord, keep us from yeelding to their solicitations, or following their customs, of drink…ing, swearing, slandering, and making the worst construction of things: of mocking, and scoffing at religion, or the religious: let not custome and example any whit prevail with us, without, or against thy written Word; lest we misse of the narrow way, which alone leadeth unto life: onelyonly give us wisedome, and grace, to look upon thy Sons whole life: & see how he would speak, and do, before we speak or do anything, & then having thy word for our warrant, and thy glory for our aime; let no censures, nor flowts of any discourage us.

Finally, good Father we beseech thee, inable us so to walk in thy fear; that in mirth we be not vain, in knowledg we be not proud, in zeal we be not bitter; instruct us by thy Word direct us by thy Spirit, mollifie us by thy grace, humble us by thy, corrections, win us by thy benefits, reconcile our nature to thy wil; & teach us so to make profit of everything, that we may see thee in al things, & al things in thee.

And in these our prayers wee are not mindfull of our selves alone, but forasmuch as thou hast commanded us to pray one for another; as being the members of one and the same mysticall body: wee beseech thee to blesse thy whole Church Universall, wheresoever dispersed, and howsoever distressed, or despised, far and wide over the face of the whole earth: and vouchsafe unto thy Gospell such a free and effectuall passage, that it may sound throughout all Nations. Yea, wee humbly pray thee, let it convert and reclaim the Turks, Jews, Infidels, Indians, Atheists, Epicures, Hereticks, and Schismaticks. Prevent all plots, and projects against the Kingdome of thy Christ: let thy Word and Spirit alone, bear rule in all places. Extend thy tender mercy O Lord, to all Protestants beyond the Seas; to all Christians under the Turks, or other Infidels: strengthen all such as suffer for thy cause, and let thy presence with them counterpoyse whatsoever is laid upon them, and inable them to continue constant in thy faith and truth to the end. More particularly, be good unto that part of thy Church planted here amongst us, in this sinfull Land, and indue us with thy grace as thou hast already with other blessings; that they may not rise up hereafter in judgment against us▪ be propitious to the Nobility, Gentry, and Communalty. Blesse the Tribe of Levi, all Ministers of thy Word and Sacraments; let their lips, O God, preserve knolewdg, and their lives righteousnesse; and for ever blesse thou their labours: increase the number of those that are faithfull and painfull; and reform, or remove such as are either scandalous, or idle: and for a constant and continuall supply of their mortality, blesse all Schools of learning, and good literature; especially the Universities. Remember in much mercy all that are afflicted, whether in body, or in mind, of in both; whether in conscience, groaning under sin; or for a good conscience, because they will not sin: and as thou makest them examples to us, so teach us to take example by them, and learn wisdome by thy hand upon them.

These, and all things else which thou knowest we stand in need of, we humbly crave at thy mercifull hands, and that for the alone worthinesse, and satisfaction of thy son▪ and the honour of our onelyonly Redeemer, and Advocate Jesus Christ: to whom with thee O Father, and thy blessed Spirit, be given as is most due, all praise, glory, and dominion, the residue of this day, and for evermore. Amen.

A PRAYER for the Morning. O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray.

—as our first Parents left us a large stock of sinne, so we have improved the same beyond measure▪ O that we could have so improved that stock of grace which wee have received from thee! But whereas thou gavest us as large a portion, we suddenly lost it. We were created indeed by thee, after thine own image, in righteousness, & holiness, & in knowledg of the Truth: But alas! now our understandings are so darkned and dulled, our judgmēts so blinded, our wils so perverted, our affections so corrupted, our reason so exiled our thoughts so surprised, our desires so entrapped, and all the faculties and sunctions of our souls so disordered, that we are not sufficient of our selves to think, much lesse to speak, least of all to do ought that is good. And yet usually like Bladders, we are not more empty of grace, than we are blown up with pride: whereby with Laodicea, we not once see our own spiritual misery and nakednesse; but think we are rich and good enough, as wanting nothing; when as scarce any spark of grace yet appears in us. Yea, so far have we been from loving and serving thee, that we have hated those that do it, and that for their so doing. And so far have we been from performing that vow which we made to Christ in our Baptism, when we took his pressemony to be his Souldiers, and serve him in the field of this world, against his and our enemies; that we have renounced our vow made to him, and fled from his standard; yea, fought for Satan and the World, seeking to win all we could from Christ, by tempting to sin, and by persecuting such as were better then our selves; so that all our recompence of thy love unto us, hath been to do that which thou hatest, and to hate those whom thou lovest. Yea, we cannot deny but we have persecuted thee with Paul, denied thee with Peter, betraied thee with Iudas, and crucified thee with those cruel Jews.

Now Lord it being thus with us, how can we expect that thou shouldest hear our praiers, & grant our requests? yea, how can wee look for other at thine hands, then great and grievous, yea, then double damnation? as most justly we have deserved.

And likewise knowing, that merciemercy pleaseath thee, and that the sole perfection of a Christian, is the imputation of Christs righteousnesse, and the not-imputation of his own unrighteousnesse.

We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God for grace, that we may be able to repent and believe.

And because every day which does not abate of our reckoning, will increase it; and that by procrastinating, we shall but heap unto our selves wrath against the day of wrath: Good Lord, suffer us not, we beseech thee, to defer our repentance, lest the custome of evill makes it altogether unalterable in us: or lest we dye before we begin to live: or lest thou refusest to hear us another day, calling upon thee for mercy: because we refuse to hear thee now, calling to us for repentance.

Wherefore if we be not yet converted, let this be the happy hour of our conversion; that as our bodies are risen by thy power, and providence from sleep, so our soules may daily bee raised from the sleep of sin, and the darknesse of this world; that so we may enjoy that everlasting light, which thou hast prepared for thine; and purchased with the bloud of thy dear Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Give unto us, we beseech thee, a true, lively, and justifying faith, whereby we may lay hold upon those gracious promises, which thou hast made unto us in him; and wherewith we may vanquish all our spirituall adversaries. Seal up unto us the assurance of our salvation, by the te…stimony of thy blessed Spirit. Give to us thy servants, that wisdome which descendeth from above, that we may be wise unto our eternall salvation: so shall our hearts (instead of a Commentary) help us to understand the Scriptures, and our lives be an Exposition of the inward man. Give us grace, to account all things in this world even as drosse, and dung, that we may win Christ Jesus; and Heaven and happinesse by means of him. Give us single hearts, and spirits without guile, that wee may love goodnesse for it self, and more seek the power of godlinesse, then the shew of it; and love the godly for thy sake: and because they are godly. Grant that in the whole course of our lives, we may doe unto all others, as we would that they should doe unto us: considering, that whether we do good or evill, unto any one of thy members, thou takest it as done unto thy self. Discover unto us all our own sins, that wee may not be so forward to censure others, as wee have been heretofore. Give us patience to beare thy Fatherly chastisements, which through thy grace sanctifying them to us, become both Medicines to cure us, and Antidotes to preserve us from the sicknesse of sin: considering, that all the afflictions of this life, are not worthy those joyes which shall be revealed unto us.

And as we are suiters unto thy Majesty, for these thy blessings spirituall: so likewise we humbly beg at thy mercifull hands, all necessaries appertaining to our temporall welfare: beseeching thee to blesse us in our persons, with health, strength, and liberty: in our estates, with sufficiency, and the right use of it; considering that if wee spend what wee have upon our own lusts, we may ask, but wee shall not receive: in our good names, with an unreproveable report: and so blesse and sanctifie unto us all the things of this life, that they may be furtherances of us in the way to a better.

And seeing that it is in vain for us to labour, except thy blessing go along with it: neither can our endeavours succeed well except thou prosper them: bless every one of us in our several places and callings, and so direct us in all we shall take in hand, that whatsoever wee do, may tend to thy glory, the good of others, and the comfort of our own soules: when wee shall come to make our finall account unto thee for them.

A Praier for the Evening, which would be performed before Supper, and not when we are more prone to sleep, then to pray.

O Eternal, Almighty, and incomprehensible Lord God; who art great and terrible, of most glorious Ma…esty, and infinite purity: Creator, and Preserver of all things, and Guider▪ and Governour of them being created: who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence, and art every where at hand to receive, and hear the praiers of all that repair to thee in thy Christ.

Thou hast of thy goodnesse bestowed so many, and so great mercies upon us, …ha… wee know not how to expresse thy bounty herein. Yea, we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for, but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already: yet we cover still, as though we had nothing, and live as if we knew nothing of all this thy beneficence.

Thy blessings are without number, yet our sins strive with them which shall be more: if we could count the numberless number of thy Creatures, they would not be answerable to the number of thy gifts; yet the number of our offences which we return in lieu of them, are not much inferiour thereunto. Well may we confesse with Iudas, we have sinned, and there stop; but we cannot reckon their number, nor set forth their nature. We are bound to praise thee above any Nation whatsoever: for what Nation under Heaven enjoys so much light, or so many blessings as we? above any Crea…u…e, for all the Creatures were ordained for our sakes: and yet Heaven, Earth, and Sea, all the Elements, all thy Creatures obey thy Word, and serve thee as they did at first: yea, call upon us to serve thee: onelyonly men for whom they were all made, ingratefully rebell against thee.

Thou might'st have said before we were formed; let them be Toads, Monsters, Infidels, Beggers, Cripples, or Bondslaves so long as they live, and after that, Cast-awaies for ever and ever: but thou hast made us to the best likenesse, and nursed us in the best Religion, and placed us in the best Land, and appointed us to the best and onelyonly Inheritance, even to remain in blisse with thee for ever: so that thousands would think themselvs happy, if they had but a piece of our happinesse.

Why shouldest thou give us thy Son for a ransome, thy holy Spirit for a pledge, thy Word for a guide, thy Angels for our guard; and reserve a Kingdom for our perpetual inheritance? Why shouldest thou bestow health, wealth, rest, liberty, limbs, senses, food, raiment, friends, and the means of salvation upon us, more then upon others, whom thou hast denied these things unto? We can give no reason for it, but that thou art merciful; and if thou shouldest draw all back again, we had nothing to say but that thou wert just: which being considered, why should any serve thee more then we, who want nothing but thankfulnesse? Why should we not hate the Way to Hell, as much as Hell it self? and why should we not make every cogitation, speech, and action of ours, as so many steps to Heaven? yet if thou shouldst now ask us what lust is asswaged, what affection qualified, what passion expelled, what sin re…pented of, what good performed, since we began to receive thy blessings to this day? we must needs confesse against our selvs, that all our thoughts, words, and works, have been the service of the World, the Flesh, and the Divel: yea, it hath been the course of ou… whole life, to leave that which thou commandest, and to do that which thou forbiddest: yet, miserable wretches that we are, if we could give thee our bodies and souls, they should bee saved by it; but thou wert never the richer for them.

Thus while we look upon our selvs, we are ashamed to li…t up our e…es unto thee; yea, we are ready to despair with Cain: yet when we think upon thy Son, and the rich promises of the Gospel, our fear is in some measure turned into joy: while we consider that his righteousnesse for us, is more then our wickednesse against our selvs; onelyonly give us faith we beseech thee, and set…le it in thy beloved, that we may draw virtue from his death and resurrection, whereby we may be enabled …o die unto sin, and live unto righteousnesse; and it sufficeth for all our iniquities, necessities, and infirmites.

It is true, O Lord, as wee were made after thine own Image; so by sin we have turned that Image of thine, into the Image of Satan: but turn thou us again, and we shall bee turned into the Image and likenesse of thy Son: And what though our sins be great, yet thy merciemercy is far greater then our sins either are, or can be: we cannot be so bad, as thou art good; nor so infinite in sinning, as thou art in pardoning, if we repent. O that we could repent! O that thou wouldest give us repentance! for we are weak, O Lord, and can no more turn our selvs, then we could at first make our selvs: yea, we are altogether dead in sin, so that we cannot stir the least joint, no not so much as feel our deadnesse, nor desire life, except thou be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin, and grave of long custome, to the life of grace: Apt wee are to all evil, but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodnesse; yea, to all the means thereof. Wee are altogether of our selvs unable to resist the force of our mighty adversaries, but do thou f…ee our wills, and set to thy helping hand, in casting down by thy Spirit our raging lusts: and by thy grace subdue our untamed affections, and we shall henceforth as much honor thee, as by your wickednesse we have formerly dishonored thee.

Wherefore of thy goodnesse, and for thy great Names sake, we beseech thee take away our stony hearts, and give us hearts of flesh: enable us to repent what we have done, and never more to do what we have once repented, not fostering any one sin in our souls.

Reform and change our minds, wills, and affections, which we have corrupted; remove all impediments which hinder us from serving of thee, and direct all our thoughts, speeches, and actions to thy glory, as thou hast directed our eternal salvation thereunto. Let not Satan any longer prevail, in causing us to defer our repentance; since we know, that late repentance is seldom sincere, and that sicknesse is no fit time for so great a work; as many have found that are now in Hell: Neither is it reasonable, thou shouldest accept of our feeble and decrepit old age, when we have spent all the flower, and strength of our youth, in serving of Satan, not once minding to leave sin, until sin left us.

Yea, O Lord, give us firmly to resolve, speedily to begin, and continually to persevere, in doing and suffering thine holy will: Inform and reform us so, that we may neither mis-believe, not mis…live: subdue our lusts to our wills, submit our wills to reason, our reason to faith; our faith, our reason, our wills, our selvs, to thy blessed Word and Will. Dispell the thick mists and clouds of our sins, which corrupt our souls, and darken our understandings; separate them from us, which would separate us from thee: Yea, remove them out of thy sight also, we most humbly beseech thee, as far as the East is from the West; and in the merits of thy Son, pardon and forgive us all those evils, which either in thought, word, or deed, we have this day, or any time hereto…ore committed against thee: whether they be the sins of our youth, or of our age; of omission, or commission; whether committed of …gnorance, of knowledge, or against conscience, and the many checks and motions of thy holy …pirit.

And now, O Lord, seeing the time approacheth which thou hast appointed for rest; and because wee can neither wake nor sleep without thee, who hast made the day and night, and rulest both: therefore into thy hands we commend our souls and bodies, beseeching thee to watch over us this night, and preserve us from all our spiritual, and bodily enemies; from thievs, fire, and from all other dangers.

☞

These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands, and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisdome to be needful and necessary for our souls, or bodies, or estates, or names, or friends, or the whole Church, better then we our selvs can either ask or think: and that for thy Names sake, for thy promise sake, for thy mercies sake, for thy Sons sake, who suffered for sin, and sinned not; and whose righteousnesse pleadeth for our unrighteousnesse: in him it is that we come unto thee, in him we call upon thee, who is our Redeemer, our Preserver, and our Saviour; to whom with Thee, and thy blessed Spirit, be ascribed as is most due, all honour, glory, praise, power, might, majesty, dominion, and hearty thanksgiving, the rest of this night following, and for evermore, Amen.

A Praier for the Evening, which would be performed before Supper, and not when we are more prone to sleep, then to pray.

We no sooner lived, then we de…served to die; neither need we any more to condemn us, then what we brought into the world with us: but thou hast spared us to this hour, to try if we would turn unto thee by repentance, as our first Parents, and wee have turned from thee by sin: yet thy mercy seems to have been in vain, and thy long-suffering to no end: For whereas many have been won by thy Word, wee would not suffer it to change us; many have been reformed by the Crosse, but we would not suffer it to purge us; many have been moved by thy benefits, but we would not suffer them to perswade us: yea, as if we had contracted with the Divel, that we would abuse all thy gifts so fast as they come: …hy blessings make us proud, thy riches covetous, thy peace wanton, thy meats intemperate, thy mercy secure; and all thy benefits serve us but as weapons to rebell against thee. We have prophaned thy daies, contemned thy ordinances, resisted thy Word, grieved thy Spirit, misused thy Messengers, hated our Reprovers, slandered and persecuted thy people, seduced our friends, given ill example to our Neighbours, opened the mouths of thine and our adversaries, to blaspheme that glorious Name after which we are named, and the truth we professe: whereas meaner mercies, and far weaker means, have provoked others no lesse to honour thee, and the Gospel; who may justly rise up in judgment against us. Besides, (which makes ou… case far more miserable) we can scarce resolve to amend; or if we do, we put off our conversion to hereafter: when we were children, we deferred to repent till we were men: now we are men, we defer untill we be old men: and when we be old men we shall defer it until death, if thou prevent us not: and yet we look for as much at thine hands, as they which serve thee all their lives.

Perhaps we have a form of godlinesse, but thou who search st…he heart, and triest the reins, knowest that too often we deny the power of it: and that ou… Religion is much of it hypocrisie, our zeal envie, our wisedom policie, our peace security, our life rebellion, our devotion deadnesse; and that we live so securely, as if we had no souls to save.

Indeed, thy Word and Spirit may work in us some flashes of desire, and purposes of better obedience; but we are constant in nothing, but in perpetual offending, onelyonly therein we cease not: for when we are waking, our flesh tempts us to wickednesse; if wee are sleeping, it sollicites us to filthinesse; or perhaps when we have offended thee all the day, at night we pray unto thee: but what is the issue of our praying? First we sin, and then we pray thee to forgive it; and then return to our sins again; as if we came to thee for no other end, but to crave leave to offend thee: Or, of thy granting our requests, we even dishonor thee, and blaspheme thy name, while thou do'st support and relieve us; run from thee, while thou do'st call us; and forget thee, while thou art feeding us: so thou sparest us, we sleep; and to morrow we sin again. O how justly mightest thou forsake us, as we forsake thee; and condemne u…, whose consciences cannot but condemne our selvs! But who can measure thy goodnesse, who givest all, and forgivest all? Though we be sinful, yet thou lovest us; though we be miserably ingrateful, yet thou most plentifully blessest us: What should we have, if we did serve thee, who hast done all these things for thine enemies? O that thou who hast so indeared us to serve thee, wouldest also give us hearts and hands to serve thee with thine own gifts.

And because infidelitie is the bitter root of all wickednesse, and a lively faith the true mother of all grace and goodnesse: nor are wee Christians indeed, except we imitate Christ, and square our lives according to the rule of thy Word: Give us that faith which manifesteth it self by a godly life; which purifieth the heart, worketh by love, and sanctifieth the whole man throughout. Yea since, if our faith be true and sa…ing, it can no more be severed from unfained repentance, and sanctification, then life can be without motion, or the sun without light: give us spiritual wisdom, to try and examine our selvs, whether we be in the faith or not: that so we may not be deluded with opinion onelyonly, as thousands are.

Discover unto us the emptinesse, vanity and insufficiencie of the things here below, to do our poor souls the least good; that so we may be induced to set an higher price upon Jesus Christ, who is the life of our lives, and the soul of our souls: considering, that if we have him, wee want nothing; if we want him, wee have nothing.

Finally, O Lord, give unto us, and increase in us all spiritual graces: inlighten our minds with the knowledge of thy truth, and inflame our hearts with the love of whatsoever is good; that we may esteem it our meat and drink to do thy blessed will. Give us religious thoughts, godly desires, zealous affections, holy endeavours, assured perswasions of faith, stedfast waiting through hope, constancy in suffering through patience, and hearty rejoicing from love: regenerate our minds, purifie our natures, turn all our joies into the joy of the Holy Ghost; and all our peace into the peace of conscience; and all our fears into the fear of sin, that we may love righteousnesse, with as great good will, as ever we loved wickednesse; and go before others in thankfulnesse towards thee, as far as thou goest in mercy towards us before them.

Give us victory in temptation, patience in sicknesse, contentment in poverty, joy in distresse, hope in troubles, confidence in the hour of death: give us alwaies to think and meditate of the hour of death, the day of judgment, the joies of heaven, and the pains of hell; together with the ransome which thy Son paid, to redeem us from the one, and to purchase for us the other: so shall neither thy benefits, nor thy chastisements, nor thy Word return ineffectual: but accomplish that for which they were sent, until we be wholly renewed to the image of thy Son.

A Praier to be used at any time.

O Almighty, Eternall, most Glorious, and onelyonly wise God; giver to them which want, comforter of them which suffer, and forgiver of them that repent; whom truly to know, is everlasting life: Wee they poor creatures acknowledge and confess unto thee, who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts: that—

—of our selvs, we are not worthy to list up our eyes to heaven, much less to present our selves before thy Majesty with the least confidence, that thou shouldest hear our praiers, or accept of our services: but rather that thou shouldest take these our confessions, and accordingly condemne us to the lowest place in Hell: for our continually abusing thy mercy, and those many means of grace, which in thy long suffering thou hast affoarded for our reclaiming. Wee are the cursed seed of rebellious Parents, wee were conceived in sin, and born the children of wrath: And whereas thou mightest have executed thy fierce displeasure upon us, so soon as thou gavest us being; and so prevented our further dishonouring thee: wee have instead of humbling our selves before thee our God, and seeking reconciliation with thy Majestie: done nothing from our infancy, but added sin unto sin, in breaking every one of thine holy Laws, which thou hast given us as rules and directions to walk by, and to keep us from sinning. Yea, there is not one of thy righteous precepts, which we have not broken more times, and ways, then we can express: so far have wee been from a privative holiness, in reforming that which is evill: and a positive holiness in performing that which is good: which thou maist justly require of us, being wee had once ability so to do, if wee had not wilfully lost it: for thou did'st form us righteous and holy, had not wee deform'd our selves; whereas now like Satan, wee can do nothing else but sin, and make others sin too, who would not so sin, but for us: for we have an army of unclean desires, that perpetually sight against our souls: whereby wee are continually tempted, drawn away, and enticed through our own concupiscence. Yea, thou knowest, that the heart of man is deceitfull above all things; and that the imaginations thereof, are onelyonly, and continually evill. O the infinitely intricate windings and turnings of the dark Labyrin…hs of mans heart! who finds not in himself an indisposition of mind to all good, and an inclination to all evill?

And according to this our inclination, hath been our practice: wee have yielded our hearts as cages to entertain all manner of unclean spirits, when on the contrary wee have refused to yield them as. Temples for thine holy Spirit to dwell in.

Yet, miserable wretches as wee are, wee like our own condition so well, that wee are not willing to go out of our selves unto thee; who wouldest new make us, according to the Image of thy Son: for by long custom, wee have so turned delight into necessity, that we can as willingly leave to live, as leave our lusts: yea, wee love our sins so well, and so much above our souls, that (except thou change our hearts) wee shall chuse to go to Hell, rather then part with them. Thou hast used all manner of means to reclaim us, but nothing will serve; neither the menaces and terrours of thy Law, nor the precepts and sweet promises of thy Gospell can do it: Wee are neither softned with benefits, nor broken with punishments; thy severity will not terri…ie us, nor thy kindness mollifie us. No, shouldest thou send an Angell from the dead to warn us, all perswasions would be in vain, since we hear Moses and the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles daily, and are never the better.

True, O Lord, there is a main reason of it, which we cannot now help; for naturally we have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, hearts and understand not. Yea, wee are quite dead in sin, untill thou doest boar our ears, so…ten our hearts, and break in upon our consciences by the irresistible power of thy Spirit, and by going along with thy Word, shall quicken our souls, and regenerate the whole man anew: In the mean time wee are ready to receive all, and return nothing but sin and disobedience; wherein wee more then abound: for wee have done more against thee this week, then wee have done …or thee ever since we were born. And whereas the least of thy mercies, is greater then all the curtesies of men, wee are not so thankfull to thee for them all, as wee are to a friend for some one good turn.

Neither do wee alone lay the fault upon our inability, or want of supply from thee; but upon our own perversnesse, and want of endeavour, and putting forth that strength and ability, which thou hast given us: for how long hast thou (O most gracious God) stood at the doors of our hearts; and how often hast thou knock'd, when we have refused to open, and let thee in; And if at any time we have been over-ruled by the good motions of thy holy Spirit, yet have wee still returned (with the Dog) to our vomit, and (with the Sow) refused the clear streams of thy Commandements, to wallow in the myre of our filthy sins: whereby we have justly deserved, that thou shouldest have called us to an account in the dead of our sleep, and have judged us to eternall destruction; and never have suffered us again to have seen the light of the Sun: the remembrance of which, together with our other rebellions, when we rightly consider them, makes us even speechless like him in the Gospell: as neither expecting mercy, nor daring to ask it.

Howbeit, when wee call to mind thy manifold mercies, shewed to Manasses, Paul, Mary Magdalen, the Thief, and the Prodigall Son, with many others; who were no less vile then wee, and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear, then they were to ask; and to give above what they durst presume to beg: wee stay our selves, and receive some incouragement from the application of the me…ts of Christ Iesus; which thou hast promised, shall bee a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins: and the rather, for that thou ca…est all that are weary and heavie laden, with the burthen of their sins unto thee; with promise that thou wilt ease them: and hast promised, that though our sins be as red as scarlet, thou wilt make them white as snow, and that thou will not the death of a sinner, but that he turn from his wickedness and live: and that if a sinner… doth repent him of his sins, from the bottom of his heart, thou …il… blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance▪ An… …st wee should yet be discouraged, thou who didst no less accept th… … D…i…, then the act of Solomon, hast further promised, that if were be … mind thou wil… accept of us according to that which we have, and not according to that which wee …ave not.

But forasmuch O Lord, as thou knowest, that is not in man to turn his own heart, unless thou dost first give him grace to convert; for thou O Lord, must work in us both the will and the deed: and being that it is as easie with thee to make u… righteous and holy, as to bid us bee such, O our God, give us ability, and willingness to do what thou commandest, and then command what t…o wilt; and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will. Wherefore give to us, and increase in us all Christian graces, that wee may know, and believe, and repent, and amend, and persevere in well doing. Create in us O Lord, a new …ea…t, and renew a right spirit within us: take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin, and enable us by the powe…full assistance of thy grace, more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandements their ever wee have the contrary.

Be favourable to thy people every where; look down in much compassion upon thy Militant Church, and every severall member thereof: blesse it in all places … peace and truth, hedge it about with thy providence, defend it from the misc…ievous designs, and attempts of …ine, and her malitious enemie: let thy Gospell go on and con…ue…, maugre all opposition; that Religion and uprightness of heart may bee highly set by with all, and all prophaneness may be trod under foot. More particularly, be mercifull to this sinfull Land; the civill …agistrates, the painful Ministers, the two Universities; those people that sit yet in darkness; all the afflicted members of thy Son. Lord, comfort the comfortless, strengthen the weak, bind up the broken hearted, make the bed of the sick, be a father to the fatherless, and an husband to the widdow; cloath the naked, feed the hungry, visit the prisoners, relieve the oppressed, sanctifie unto them all their afflictions, and turn all things to the best to them that fear thee.

Prosper the Armies that fight thy battells, and shew a difference between thy servants, and thine enemies, as thou did'st between the Israelites and the Egyptians; that the one may bee confirmed, and the other reclaimed.

☞

These, and all other good things, which for our blindnesse we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants, not for our sakes, but for thy mercies sake; and for thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ sake, in whom thou art well-pleased; and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Crosse for our sins: who with thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth ever one God, world without end.

Let thy mighty hand, and out-stretched arm, O Lord, be still our defence; thy merciemercy and loving kindnesse in Iesus Christ thy dear Son, our salvation; thy true and holy Word our instruction; thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort, consolation, illumination, and sanctification, now and for ever, Amen.

A Praier to be used at any time.

—we have used all our wisedom, to commit the foolishness of sin: our whole conversation hath been to serv Satan, and fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Wee even suck in iniquity like water, and draw on sin as it were, with cartropes.

Neither is there any part, power, function, or faculty, either of our souls or bodies, which is not become a ready instrument to dishonour thee: for as our heart is a root of all corruption, a seed-plot of all sin; so our eyes, are eyes of vanitie; our ears, ears of folly; our mouthes, mouthes of deceit; our hands, hands of iniquity: and every part doth dishonour thee, which yet would be glorified of thee. The understanding which was given us to learn virtue, is apt now to apprehend nothing but sin; the will which was given us to affect righteousness, is apt now to love nothing but wickedness; the memory which was given us to remember good things, is apt now to keep nothing but evill things: for sin (like a spreading leprosie) is so grown over us, that from the crown of our heads, to the soal of our …eet, there is nothing whole therein, but wounds, and swellings, and sores full of corruption. Yea, our souls and bodies are even a very sink of sin; for like the common shoar, we have not refused to welcome any, the most loathsome pollutions, that either the world, our own corruption, or the Devill at any time hath offered unto us.

Or, admit we are exempt from som evills, wee may thank thee, and not our selves for it: for wee are ready without thy restraining grace, to run out into all manner of enormities whatsoever: we are swift to all evill, but to … good immoveable: when we do evill, we do it chearfully, and quickly, and easily; but if we do any good, wee do it faintly, and rawly, and slackly. When did we talk without vanity? when did we give without hypocrisie? when did wee bargain without deceit? when did we reprove without anger, or envy? when did we hear without wearysomness? when did wee pray without tediousness? such is our corruption, as if we were made to sin, in deed, in word, or in thought. O the pride, passion, lust, envy, ignorance, awkwardnesse, hypocrisie, infidelity, vain thoughts, unprofitableness, and the like; which cleaves to our very best actions! and how full of infirmity are our primest performances! for we have not done any one action legally justifyable all our dayes▪ neither can ought we do, abide the examinatirn of thy strict justice, untill it he covered with thy Sons righteousness; and the corruption thereof washed away in his most pretious blood. Yea, if thou shouldest behold these our praiers, as they bee in themselves, without having respect unto us in Christ Iesus; they would appear no better in thy sight, then a menstruous cloth.

Y…a, let thy Spirit bear such rule in every one of our hearts, that neither Satan that forrain enemy, and roaring Lyon, which seeketh to devour us, may invade us; nor our own concupiscence, that home-bred traytor, may by conspiring with the world, work the ruine and overthrow of our poor souls: but that all our wills which have been altogether rebellious, our hearts which have been the receptacles of unclean spirits, & our affections which are altogether carnall; may be whol…y framed according to thy holy & heavenly will. and that we may the better know how to avoyd the evill, and do the good, let thy Word as a light, discover unto us all the sleights and snares of our spirituall adversaries: yea, make it unto us as the Star which led unto Christ; and thy benefits like the Pillar which brought to the Land of Promise; and thy Cross like the Messenger, that compelled guests unto the Banquet.

Give us, O Lord, to consider, that although sin in the beginning seem never so sweet unto us, yet in the end it will prove the bane, and ruine both of body and soul: and so assist us with thy grace, that wee may willingly part with our right eyes of pleasure, and our right hands of profit, rather then sin against thee, and wrong our own consciences: considering that it would bee an hard bargain, …or us to win the whole world, and lose our own souls.

Blesse, preserve and keep us from all the temptations of Satan, the world, and our wicked hearts: from pride, that Lucifer-like sin, which is the fore-runner of destruction; considering that thou resistest the proud, and givest grace tò the humble: from covetousnesse, which is the root of all evil; being taught out of thy word, that the love of money hath caused many to fall into diverse temptations, and snares, which drown them in perdition and destruction; from cruelty, that infernal evil, of which thou hast said, that there shall be judgment mercilesse, to him that sheweth not merciemercy: from hypocrisie, that sin with two faces, whose reward is double damnation; and the rather, because wickednesse doth most rankle the heart, when it is kept in, and dissembled; and for that in all the Scriptures, we read not of an hypocrites repentance: from whoredom, which is a sin against a man's own body, and the most inexcusable: considering the remedy which thou hast appointed against it: for the punishment whereof, the Law ordained death, and the Gospel excludeth from the Kingdom of Heaven: from prophanation of thy day, considering thou hast said, that whosoever sanctifieth it not, shall bee cut off from thy people; and did'st command that he should be stoned to death who only gathered a …ew sticks on that day: from swearing, which is the language of hell; considering that because of oaths the Land doth mourn, and thou hast threatned that thy curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer: from drunkenness, that monster with many heads, and worse than beast like sin, which in thy Word hath many fearfull woes denounced against it: and the rather, for that it is a sin (like the pit of Hell) out of which there is small hope of redemption.

Finally, O Lord, give us strength to resist temptation, patience to endure affliction, and constancie to persevere unto the end in thy truth: that so having passed our pilgrim…ge here, according to thy will, we may be at rest with thee hereafter, both in the night of death, when our bodies shal sleep in the grave, and in the day of our resurrection, when they shall awake to judgment, and both bodies and souls enjoy everlasting blisse.

A Thanksgiving to be brought in to any, or every one of them, next before the Conclusion, where the hand is placed.

ANd as we pray unto thee, so we desire also to praise thee: rendring unto thy Majestie upon the bended knees of our hearts, all possible laud, and thanksgiving, for all thy mercies and favours, spiritual and corporal, temporal and eternal: For that thou hast freely elected us to salvation from all eternity; when thou hast passed by many millions of others, both Men and Angels, whereas we deserved to perish no lesse then they; and thou mightest justly have chosen them, and left us: for that thou hast created us Men, and not Beasts; in England, not in Aethiopia, or any other savage Nation: in this clear and bright time of the Gospel, not … the darknesse of Paganisme, or Popery. For thine unexpressible love, in redeeming us out of Hell, and from those unsufferable and endlesse torments, by the pretious blood of thy dear Son: who spared not himself▪ that thou mightest spare us. For calling us home to thee by the Ministry of thy Word, and the work of thy good Spirit. For the long continuance of thy Gospel with us, (the best of blessings). For sparing us so long, and giving us so large a time of repentance. For justifying, and in some measure sanctifying us, and giving us ground for assured hope of being glorified in thy heavenly Kingdom. For preserving us from so infinite many perils and dangers, which might easily have befalne us every day, to the taking away of either our estates, our limbs, or our lives. For so plentifully and graciously blessing us all our life long, with many and manifold good things; both for necessity and delight. For peace of conscience, and content of minde. For our health, wealth, limbs, senses, food, raiment, liberty, prosperity. For thy great merciemercy in correcting us, and turning thy corrections to our good. For preserving us in the night past from all dangers of body and soul; and for infinite more mercies, of which we could not well want any one: and which are all greatned, by being bestowed upon us, who were so unworthy; and have been so ungrateful for the same. O that we could answer thee in our thankfulnesse, and obedient walking, one for a thousand!

Neither are we unmindful of those national blessings, which thou hast vouchsafed unto our Land in general: as namely, that deliverance from the Spanish Invasion in 88, and from that divelish design of the Gunpowder-Treason: for preserving us from the noisome, and devouring Plague and Pest…lence. Lord grant, that our great unthankfulnesse for these thy mercies, may not cause thee to deliver us into the hands of our enemies: and although we have justly thereby deserved the same, yet we beseech thee, give us not up unto their wills, neither suffer Popery ever to bear rule over us; nor thy blessed Word and Sacraments to be taken away from us; but continue them unto us, and to our posterity after us, if it be thy good pleasure; untill the coming of thy Christ.

Babes that are inexpert in the Word of righteousnesse, use milk: but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age,

Heb. 5.13, 14.

THE STATE OF A CHRISTIAN, lively set forth by an Allegorie of a Ship under Sayl.Prov. 31.14. Iob. 9.26. Isai. 23.1. Rev. 8.9.

MY Bodie is the Hull, the Keel my Back, my Neck the Stem, the Sides are my Ribs, the Beams my Bones, my Flesh th… Planks, Gristles and Ligaments are the Pintels and Knee-timbers; Arteries, Veins and Sinews, the several Seams of the Ship; my Blood is the Ballast, my Heart the principal Hold, my Stomach the Cook-room, my Liver the Cistern, my Bowels the Sink, my Lungs the Bellows, my Teeth the Chopping knives, (except you divide them, and then they are the 32 points of the Sea-card, both agreeing in number;) Concoction is the Caldron, and hunger the Salt or Sawce: my belly is the lower Deck, my Kidneys Close Cabbins, or receptacles; my Thighs are long Galleries for the grace of the Ship, my Arms and Hands the Can-hooks, my Midriffe is a large Partition, or Bulk-head; within the circumference of my head is placed the Steeridge-room, and chief cabbins, with the Round-house where the Master lieth; and these for the more safety and decencie, are inclosed with a double fence; the one Dura-mater, something hard and thick; the other Pia-mater, very thin and soft, which serveth instead of hangings: The Ears are two doors, or Scuttles, fitly placed for entertainment; the two Eyes are Casement… to let in light, under them is my Mouth the Stowidge, or Stewards-room; my Lips are Hatches for receipt of goods, my two Nostrils serve as Gratings to let in air; at the one end stands my Chin, which is the Beak-head, my Forehead is the Upper-deck, all which being trimmed with my fat instead of pitch, and hair instead of Ockham, are coloured with my skin.

The fore-deck is humility, the stoarn charity, active obedience the sayls, which being hoysed up with the several Yards, Halliars, and Bow-lings of holy precepts and good purposes, are let down again by sicklenesse, faintings and inconstancie; Reason is my Rudder, experience the Helme, hope of salvation my Anchor, passive obedience the Capstain, holy revenge the Cat and Fish to hawl the sheat-Anchor, or last hope; fear of offending is the Bu…y, virtues are the Cables, holy desires, and sudden ejaculations the Shrouds, the zeal of God's glory is my Main-mast, premeditation the Foremast, desire of my own salvation the Mizzen-mast; saving-knowledge the Boltsprit: Circumspection a Sounding-line, my Light is illumination, Justice is the Card, God's Word the Compasse, the meditation of life's brevity a four-hour-glasse, Con…emplation of the creatures the Grosse-staff, or Iacob's Staff, the Creed a Sea-grammer, the life of Christ my Load-star; the Saints falls are Sea-markes, Good examples Land-marks: Repentance Pumpes out the sink of my sins, a good Conscience keeps mee clean, imputative righteousness is my Flag, having this Motto (BEING CAST DOWN WE PERISH NOT) The Flag-staff is sincerity, the Ship is victualled afresh by reading, hearing, receiving; Books are Long-boats, Letters are little Skiffes to carry and re-carry my spiritual merchandise, Perseverance is my speed, and Patience my name: my fire is lust, which will not be clean extinguished; full feeding and strong drink is the fuell to maintein it, whose flame (if it be not supprest) is jealousie, whose sparks are evil words, whose ashes is envie, whose smoke is infamy, lascivious talk is as flint and steel, concupiscence as tinder, opportunity is the match to light it, sloath and idlenesse are the servants to prepare it.

The Law of God is my Pilot, Faith my Captain, Fortitude the Master, Chastity the Masters-mate, my Will the Coxen, Conscience the Preacher, Application of Christs death the Chirurgion, Mortification the Cook, Vivi…cation the Calker, Self-denial is an Apprentice of his, Temperance the Steward, Contentation his Mate, Truth the Purser, Thankfulnesse the Pursers-mate, Reformation the Boat-swain, the 4 Humors, Sanguine, Choller, &c. are the Quarter-masters, Christian vigilancie undertakes to supply the office of Starbord and Larbord wa…ch, Memory is Clerk of the Check, Assurance the Corporal, the Armour Innocencie, the Mariners Angels, Scismaticks are Searchers sent aboard; my understanding as Master-Gunner culls out from those who Budg-casks of the New and Old Testament, certain threats and promises, which is my onelyonly Powder and Shot, and with the assistance of the Gunners-mate, holy anger against sin, chargeth my tongue, which like to a Piece of Ordinance shoots them, to the shame and overthrow of my shirituall Adversaries.

My Noble Passengers are joy in the Holy Ghost, and the peace of conscience, whose retinue are divine graces: my ignoble, or rather mutinous Passengers are worldly cogitations and vain delights, which are more than a good many; besides some that are arrant thievs and traytors; namely, pride, envie, prejudice; but all these I'le bid farewell when I come to my journies end, though I would, but cannot, before.

Heaven is my Country, where I am registred in the Book of life; my King is Iehova; my tribute Almsdeeds, they which gather it are the poor; Love is my Countries badge, my language is holy conference, my …ellow Companions are the Saints.

I am poor in performances, yet rich in Gods acceptation: The foundation of all my good, is Gods free Election: I became bound into the Corporation of the Church, to serve him in my baptisme; I was inrolled at the time when hee first called mee; my freedom is Justification, it was purchased with the blood of Christ, my evidence is the earnest of his Spirit, my priviledges are his sanctifying Graces, my Crown (reserved for mee on high) is Glorification.

My Maker and owner is God, who built mee by his Word, which is Christ; of earth, which was the materiall: hee fraught it with the essence of my soul, which is the Treasure; and hath set mee to sail in the Sea of this world, till I attain to the Port of Death, which letteth the terrestriall part into the harbour of the grave; and the celestiall into the Kingdom of Heaven: in which voyage, conveniency of estate is as Sea room, good affections serve as a tyde, and praier a… a prosperous gale of wind, to help forward.

But innumerable are the impediments and perills, for here I meet with the proffers of unlawfull gain, and sensuall delights as so many Syrens; the baits of prosperity (as high banks) on the right hand or weather-shore, and there with evill suggestions, and crabbed adversity (as Rocks) on the left hand, or Lee-shore, ready to split mee, the fear of Hell, like quick-sands, threaten to swallow mee; Originall sin, like weeds, clog me; and actuall transgressions like so many Barnacles, hang about mee: yea, every sin I commit springs a new leak; my senses are as so many storms of rain, hail, and snow to sink me; lewd affections are roaring billows and waves; self-confidence, or to rely upon any thing but divine assistance, i… to lose the bolt sprit; Restitution is heaving goods over-board to save the Ship; Melancholly, is want of fresh water: the Scoffs of Atheists, and contempt of Religion in all places, is a notable becalming; the lewd lives, and evill examples of the most, a contagious air; Idleness surs it, and is a shrewd decay, both of Hull and Tackling. Moreover sailing along, and keeping watch, (for they that are Christs friends you know, must look for all they meet to bee their enemies) wee no sooner look up, but presently wee ken a man of war, and then wee must bee for war too, and provide for a skirmish.

Now the Gallion that hath our Pinnace in chase, and always watcheth for advantages to surprise it, is the Piracy of Hell, the Synagogue of Satan; her fraight is Temtations and persecutions, with all the Engines of mischief; in w^ch the Devill is Master, malice the Masters-mate, cruelty the Captain, Murder the Cook, Flattery the Calker, Prophaneness a Quarter-master, Riot the Steward, Never-content his mate; Pride the Cockson, Superstition the Preacher, Hypocrisie the Boatswain, Coveteousness the Purser, Lust the Swabber, Fury the Gunner, Presumption the Corporal, Sedition the Trumpetter, Drunkenness the Drummer: Vices are the Sails, Custom the Main-mast, Example of the multitude the Fore-mast, Lusts and passions the Cables, Blindness of mind the Rudder, Hardness of heart the Helme, the Wisedom of the flesh the Card, the Mystery of iniquity the Compass, the five senses, or if you will, scoffing Atheists, prophane foul mouth'd drunkards, & all the rabble of Hell are the Mariners; lewd affections the Passengers, little conscience the Load-stare; she hath two tyre of great Ordinance planted in her, heresie, & irreligion, (being either for a false God or none) Oaths, Blasphemy, and curses are the Powder and Shot, which they spit against all that worship the Lamb, or fight under the ensign of Faith; her Armour is carnall security, the Flag in her top is infidelity, the Motto (There is no God but gain); Her ballast which keeps her upright, is ignorance; most of her Tackling shee has from Rome; Antichrist as Pilot steares her in such a course, tha… she goes on swiftly, proudly, securely; scorning and scoffing (Senacharib like) to hear that any Lord should deliver this poor Pinnace out of her hands; yet in the sequel this silly Pink, having the insurance of God's omni-presence, finds not onelyonly succour from the Stock of the Churches Praiers, which like another Merchant-man comes in to the rescue; but likewise that God's Almighty power and providence is near at hand, as a strong Castle of defence to free her, whereby she escapes, even as a Bird out of the snare of the Hunter, to praise the Lord, who hath not given her as a prey unto their teeth, that would have swallowed up all quick; but delivered her from such swelling waters, floods of affliction, and streams of persecution, as else had gone over her, and even drowned her soul, as it is Psalm 124, while this great Gallion (though it seem like that Invincible Armado) flies, and (having no Anchor) when the storms of God's wrath arise, down she sinks to desperation, and perisheth in the bottomlesse pit, or burning lake of fire and brimstone, where wee'l leave her, to receive a just recompence of reward.

Imprimatur

Th. Wykes. Decemb. 4. 1640.

FINIS.

Printed by I. Bell, for Iames Crumpe, and are to be sold at his house in little Bartholomews Well-yard. 1657.

A SHORT AND SURE Way to Grace and Salvation; BEING A Necessary and Profitable Tract, upon Three Fundamental Principles of Christian Religion: which few do indeed know: and yet he who knows them not, cannot be saved: Viz.

How Man was at first Created.

How he is now Corrupted.

How he may be again Restored.

Together with the conditions of the Covenant of Grace, and to whom the Promises of the Gospel belong. The which well learned, would keep Millions out of Hell; that blindly throng thither.

By R. YOUNGE of Roxwell in Essex.

If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world, hath blinded the mindes of them which beleeve not; lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is ihe image of God, should shine unto them,

2 Cor. 4.3, 4.

A Christian Library, Prayers – Colophon 2

p. 238A two-fold PRAYER for the Morning and for the Evening, as also another to be said at any time.

p. 239A PRAYER for the Morning. O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray.

p. 239A PRAYER for the Morning. O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray.

A Praier for the Evening, which would be performed before Supper, and not when we are more prone to sleep, then to pray.

A Praier for the Evening, which would be performed before Supper, and not when we are more prone to sleep, then to pray.

A Praier to be used at any time.

p. 249A Praier to be used at any time.

A Thanksgiving to be brought in to any, or every one of them, next before the Conclusion, where the hand is placed.

THE STATE OF A CHRISTIAN, lively set forth by an Allegorie of a Ship under Sayl.Prov. 31.14. Iob. 9.26. Isai. 23.1. Rev. 8.9.Prov 31:14Job 9:26Isa 23:1Rev 8:9

p. 1A SHORT AND SURE Way to Grace and Salvation; BEING A Necessary and Profitable Tract, upon Three Fundamental Principles of Christian Religion: which few do indeed know: and yet he who knows them not, cannot be saved: Viz.

Together with the conditions of the Covenant of Grace, and to whom the Promises of the Gospel belong. The which well learned, would keep Millions out of Hell; that blindly throng thither.

A two-fold PRAYER for the Morning and for the Evening, as also another to be said at any time.

A PRAYER for the Morning. O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray.

A PRAYER for the Morning. O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray.

A Praier to be used at any time.

THE STATE OF A CHRISTIAN, lively set forth by an Allegorie of a Ship under Sayl.Prov. 31.14. Iob. 9.26. Isai. 23.1. Rev. 8.9.

A SHORT AND SURE Way to Grace and Salvation; BEING A Necessary and Profitable Tract, upon Three Fundamental Principles of Christian Religion: which few do indeed know: and yet he who knows them not, cannot be saved: Viz.