A Counterpoison, Prayers
Three Prayers for a Family, if at any time they shall be thought too long, read onelyonly the English letter and passe by the Roman; or you may continue any one part which goes betweene.
Jer. 10. 25. Power out thy sury upon them that know thee not, and upon the Familyes 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.
Isay 65. 24. Before th…y call I will answer, and whiles they are yet speaking I will h…re.
Jer. 33. 3. Call unto me and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
1 John 5. 14. If we aske any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
John 16. 23. Mat. 21. 22. Whatsoever ye shall aske the Father in my name, beleeuing he will give it you.
Psalm. 55. 17. Evening and Morning, and at Noone 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 mercisull and loving Father in whom we live and mo…e and have our being: in the multitude of thy mercies, wee desire so approach unto thée, from whom all good things doe procéede; who knowest our necessities before we aske, and our ignorance in asking. It is true, O Lord, if wee should consider onelyonly our owne unworthinesse, and how we have heretofore abused … goodnesse and long suffering towards us; …ht rather despaire with Iudas, and like Adam run from thée, then dare to approach thy glorious presence, For we confesse O Lord, to the shame and confusion of our owne …ares, that as we brought a world of sinne into the World with us, and deserved to dye so soone as we began to live; so ever since that thou hast spared …s, we have done nothing but add … unto sinne, as thou hast added mercy to mercy: For we have beene no lesse rebellious unto thée, then thou hast beene beneficiall unto us. We doe dayly and hourely breake all thy commandements, adding unto that our originall corruption which we were conceived and …orne …, all manner of ac…uall transgressions, by sinnes of Omissi…n, sinnes of Commission, sinnes of Ignorance, sinnes of Knowledge, sinnes against conscience; yea, sinnes of Presumption and Wilfulnesse, and that in thought, word, and …, We have sinned against thy Law, and against thy Gospell, against thy mer…ies, and against thy judgements, against the many warnings, and the abundance of meanes, afforded by thee to reclaime us, against the spirit of grace continually knocking at the doores of our hearts, with infinite checks and holy motions: Our eares have beene alwayes open to the Tempter, shut unto thée; we have abused our eyes to want…nnesse, our mouthes to filthinesse, and our féet have beene swift to all evill, slow to ought that is good.
And as we have committed one sinne on the neck of another, so we have multiplyed, and many times repeated them, by falling often into the same wickednesse, whereby our sinnes are become for number▪ as the sands of the Sea, and as the Stars of Heaven.
Thus 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 rec…ived from thee! But whereas thou gavest us as large a portion, we suddenly lost it. We were created indeed by thee after thine owne Image, in righteousnesse, and holinesse, and in knowledge of the truth: But alas! now our understandings are so darkened and dulled, our judgements so blinded, our wills so perverted, our affections so corrupted, our reason so …xiled, our thoughts so surprised, our desires so entrapped, and all the faculties and functions of our Soules so disordered, that wee are not sufficient of our selves to thinke, much lesse to speake, least of all to doo ought that is good. And yet usually like Bladders, we are not more empty of grace, than we are blowne up with pride: whereby with Laodicea, wee not once see our owne spirituall misery and nakednesse; But thinke we are rich and good en…ugh, as wanting nothing; when as scarce any sparke of grace yet appeares in us. Yea, so farre have we be… from loving and serving thee, that wee have hat…d those that doe it, and that for their so doing. And so farre have wee beene from performing that vow; which wee m…de to Christ in our Baptisme, when we tooke his pres…e money to be his souldiers, and serve him in the f…ld of this world, against his and our enemies; that wee have renounced our vow made to him, and fled from his standard; yea, sought for Satan and the Wo…ld, seeking to win all wee could from Christ, by rempting to sinne, and by persecuting such as were better than our selves; so that all our recompence of thy love unto us, hath beene to doe that which thou hatest, and to hate those whom thou lovest. Ye…, we cannot deny but wee have persecuted thee with Paul, denyed thee with Peter, be…ayed thee with Judas, and crucified thee with those cruell Jewes.
Now Lord it being thus with us, how can wee expect that th…n should…st heare our prayers, and grant our …qu…sts? yea, how can wee looke for other at thin… hands, then great and g…i…vous, yea, then double damnation? as most justly wee have deserved.
Yet most mercifull Father, being that thou hast given thy Sonne, and thy Sonne hi…selfe for the ransome of so many as shall tru…ly …, … unfainedly beleeve in him, who h…th … sakes fulfilled all righteousnesse; …, … on the Crosse, and there made full satis…on f…r the sins of all thine Elect: and s…ing thou ha… …ppoynted Prayer, as one speciall meanes for the obtaining of thy grace, unto which thou hast annexed this comfortable promise, that where two or thrée bee gathered together in thy name, thou wilt be in the …idst of them, and grant their requests; and since our Redéemer hath assured us, that whatsoever we shall aske thee in his name, thou wilt give it us:
And likewise knowing, that mercy pleaseth thee, and that the sole perfection of a Christian, is the imputation of Christs righteousnesse, and the not imputation of his owne unrighteousnesse:
We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God, for grace, that we may be able to repent, and beléeve.
Wherefore for thy promise sake, for thy Sonnes sake, and for thy great names sake, we beféech thee send downe thine holy Spirit into our soules, regenerate our hearts, c…ange and purifie our natures, subdue our reason, rectifie our …udgements, strengthen our wils, renew our affections, put a stop to our madding a…d …ra…ing fancies, beate downe in us whatsoever st…nds in opposition to the S…epter of …esus Christ; and enable us in some measure, both to withst… that which to evill, and performe that which is good and pleasing in thy sight: Yea, …ive us repentance never to bee repented of, and possesse ou… soules with suc… a dreadfull awe of thy …, that we may feare as well to commit small sinnes a… great ones; considering that the least sinne is mo…all without our repentance, and thy mercy: as well feare to sinne in secret as openly, since there is nothing hid from thee; as well condemne our selves for evill thoughts as evill déedes, considering that the Law is spirituall, binding the heart no lesse then the ha…ds; as well abstaine from the occasions of sinne, as sinne it selfe; and consider that it is not enough, to abstaine from e…ill, unlesse wée hate it also, and doe the contrary good.
And because every day which does not abate of our reckoning, will increase it; and that by procrastinating, we shall but heape unto our selves wrath against the day of wrath: Good Lord, suffer us not, we beseech thee, to deferre 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 …esusest to heare us another day, calling upon thee for mercy: because we refuse to heare thee now, calling to us for repentance.
Wherefore, if we be not yet converted, let this be the happy houre of our conversion; that as our bodies are risen by thy power, and providence from sleepe, so our soules may daily bee raised from the sleepe of sinne, and the darkenesse of this world; that so we may enjoy that everlasting light, which thou hast prepared for thin…; and purchased with the bloud of thy deare 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. Seale up unto us the assurance of our salvation, by the testimony of thy blessed Spirit. Give to us thy servants, that wisedome which descendeth from above, that we may be wise unto our eternall salvation: so shall our hearts (instead of a Commentary) helpe 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 meanes of him. Give us single hearts, and spirits without guile, that wee may love goodnesse for it selfe, and more seeke 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 doe good or evill, unto any one of thy members, thou takest it as done unto thy selfe. Discover unto us all our owne sinnes, that wee may not be so forward t… …nsure others, as we have beene 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 sinne: considering, that all the afflictions of this life, are not worthy those joyes, which shall be revealed unto us.
Finally, good Father we beséech thée, inable us so to walke in thy feare, that in mirth we be not vaine, in knowledge we be not proud, in zeale we be not bitter; instruct us by thy wo…d, direct us by thy Spirit, mollifie us by thy grace, humble us by thy corrections, w… us by thy benefits, reconcile our nature to thy will; and teach us so to make profit of every thing, that we may sée thée in all things, and all things in thee.
And as we are …uiters unto thy Ma…esty, 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 … our owne lusts, we may aske, but we 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 now O Lord, since thou hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day, we beseech thée to defend, and direct us in the same: and as thou hast blest us in our lying downe, and in our rising up, so protect and prosper us, in our going forth, and in our comming home: shield and deliver us from the snares of the Hunter, who lyeth in waite for our soules; and is continually labouring our everlasting destruction. And no lesse arme us against the allurements of the world, wherein wee shall méet with many provocations, and temptations: and that we may not lead our selves, nor be led into temptation; give us wisedome to beware of men, even of associating our selves with the vitious, like Ioseph: le…t otherwise with David, we be drawne to dissemble; or with Peter, to deny thee: for sinne is of a catching, and infectio…s quality; and our corrupt hearts are like tinder, which will kindle with the least sparke: especially O Lord, kéepe us from yéelding to their solicitations, or following their customes, of drinking, swearing, s…andering, and making the worst construction of things: of mocking, and scoffing a… religion, or the religious: let not custome and example any whit prevayle with us, without, or against thy written word; lest we misse of the narrow way, which alone leadesh unto life: onelyonly give us wisedome, and grace, to looke upon thy Sons whole life, and see how he would speake, and doe, before we speake or doe any thing: and then having thy word for our warrant, and thy glory for our ayme; let no ceusures, nor …owtes of any discourage us.
And seeing that it is in vaine for us to labour, except thy blessing goe along with it: neither can our endeavours succeed well, except thou prosper them: blesse every one of us in our severall places and callings, and so direct us in all we shall take in hand, that whatsoe…er we doe, may tend to thy glory, the … of others, and … comfort of our owne soules: when wee shall come to make our finall account unto thee for them.
And in these our prayers we are not mindefull of our selves alone, but forasmuch as then hast commanded us to pray one for another; as being the members of one and the same mysticall body: wee beseech thee to bless… thy whole Church Vniversall, wheresoever dispersed, and howsoever distressed, or despised, farre and wide over th… face of the whole earth: and vouchsafe unto thy Gospell such a free and effectuall passage, that it may sound throughout all Nations. Yea, we humbly pray thee, let it convert and reclaime the Turkes, sewes, Infidels, Indians, Atheists, Epicures, Heretickes, and Schismaticks. Prevent all plots, and projects against the Kingdome of thy Christ: let thy Word and Spirit alone, beare rule in all places. Extend thy tender mercy O Lord, to all Protestants beyond the Seas; to all Christians under the Turkes, 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, which is even sicke with long peace, and prosperity: and indue us with thy grace as thou hast already with other blessings; that they may not rise up hereafter in judgment against us. In a more speciall manner, be propitious to thy Servant Charles, our gratious King & Governour; to his Royall Consort, to the Noble Prince Charles, and the re…t of that Royall Race; together with the Nobility, Gentry, and Communalty. Blesse the Tribe of Levi, all Ministers of thy Word and Sacraments: let their lippes, O God, preserve knowledge, and their lives righteousnesse; and forever blesse thou their labours: increase the number of those that are faithfull and painfull; and reforme, or remove such as are either scandalous, o… idle: and for a constant and continuall supply of their mortality, blesse all Schooles of learning, and good literature; especially the Vniversities. Remember in much m…r…y all that are afflicted, whether in body, or in minde, or in both; whether in conscience, groaning under sinne; or for a good conscience, because they will not sinne: and as thou makest them examples to us, so teach us to take example by them, and learne wisedome by thy hand upon them.
And as we pray unto thee, so we desire also to prayse thee: rendring unto thy Ma…esty upon the bended knees of our hearts, all possible laud, and thankesgiving, for all thy mercies and …a…ours, spirituall, and corporall; temporall, and eternall: for that thou hast freely elected …s 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 …stly have chosen them, and le…t us: for that thou hast created …s Men, and not Beasts; in England, not in Aethiopia, or any other savage Nation: in this cleare and bright time of the Gospell, not in the darkenesse of Paganisme, or Popery. For thine unexpressible lo…e, in redeeming us out of Hell; and from those unsufferable and endlesse forments, by the pretious bloud of thy deare Sonne: who spared not himselfe, that thou mightest spare us. For calling us home to thee by the Ministry of thy Word, and the worke of thy good Spirit. For the long continuance of thy Gospell with us, (the best of blessings.) For sparing us so long, and giving us so large a time of repentance. For iustifying, and in some measure sanctifying us, and giving us ground for assured hope of being glorifyed in thy heavenly Kingdome. For preserving us from so infinite many perils and dangers, which might easily have befalne us e…ery day, to the taking away of either our estates, our limbes, 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, limbes, senses, foode, rayment, liberty, prosperity. For thy great mercy in correcting us, and turning thy corrections to our good. For preserving us in the night past, from all dangers of body and soule: 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 beene so ungratefull for the same. O that we could answer thee in our thankefulnesse, and obedient walking, one for a thousand.
Neither are we unmindfull of those nationall blessings, which thou hast vouchsafed unto our Land in generall: as namely, that deliverance from the Spanish Invasion in 88, and from that devillish designs of the Gun-powder-Treason: for preserving us from the noysome, and devouring Plague and Pestilence. Lord grant, that our great unthankefulnesse for these thy mercies, may not cause thee to deli…er us in… the hands of our enemies: and although wee have justly thereby deserved the same, yet we beseech thee, give us not up unto their wils, neither suffer Popery ever to beare rule over us; nor thy blessed Word and Sacraments to be taken away from us: but continue them unto us, and so our posterity after us, if it be thy good pleasure; untill the comming of thy Christ.
These, and all things else, which thou knowest we stand in need of, we humbly …ra…e 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, …e given, as is most due, all prayse, glory, and dominion, the residue of this day, and for evermore.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Evening, which would be performed before Supper, and not when we are more prone to sleepe, then to pray.
O Eternall, Almighty, and incomprehensibl… Lord God; who art great and terrible, of most glorious Maiesty, and infinite purity: Creator, and Preserver of all things, and Guider, and Governour of them being created: who …lest Heaven and Earth with thy preseues, and art every where at hand to receive, and heare the prayers of all that repaire to thee in thy Christ.
Thou hast of thy goodnesse bestowed so many, and so great mercies upon us, that we know not how to expresse thy bounty herein. Yea, we can scarce thinke of any thing more to pray for, but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already: yet we covet 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 sinnes strive with them which shall be more: if wee could count the numberlesse number of thy Creatures, they would not bee answerable to the number of thy gifts: yet the number of our offences which we returne in lieu of them, are not much inferiour thereunto. Well may we confesse with Judas, 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 en…oyes so much light, or so many blessings as we? above any Creature, 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: only men for whom they were all made, ingratefully rebell against thee.
Thou mightest have said before we were formed; let them be Toades, Monsters, Infidels, Beggers, Criples, or Bondslaves, so long as they live, and after that, Cast-awayes for ever and ever: but thou hast made us in the …e…t …nesse, 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 remaine in blisse with thee for ever: so that thousands would thinke themselves happy, if they had but a péece of our happinesse.
Why shouldest thou give us thy Sonne for a Ransome, thy Holy Spirit for a pledge, thy Word for a guide, thy Angels for our guard; and reserve a Kingdome for our perpetuall inheritance? Why shouldest thou bestow health, wealth, rest, liberty, limbes, senses, foode, rayment, friends, and the meanes of salvation upon us, more then upon others, whom thou hast denyed these things unto? We can give no reason for it, but that thou art mercifull; and if thou shouldest draw all backe againe, wée had nothing to say but that thou wert just: which being considered, why should any serve thee more then we, who want nothing but thankefulnesse? Why should we not hate the way to Hell, as much as Hell it selfe? and why should we not make every cogitation, spéech, and action of ours, as so many steps to Heaven? Yet, if thou shouldest now aske us what lust is asswaged, what affection qualified, what passion expelled, what sinne repented of, what good performed, since we began to receive thy blessings to this day? We must néeds confesse against our selves, that all our thoughts, words, and workes, have béene the service of the World, the Flesh, and the Devill: Yea, it hath béene the course of our whole life, to leave that which thou commandest, and to doe that which thou forbiddest: yet, miserable wretches that we are, if we could give thee our bodies and soules, they should be saved by it; but thou wert never the richer for them.
Perhaps we have a forme of godlinesse, but thou who searchest the heart, and try…st th… reynes, knowest that too often we deny the power of it: and that our Religion is much of it hypocrisie, our zeale envy, our wisedome policy, our peace security, our life rebellion, our devotion deadnesse; and that we live so securely, as if we had no soules to save.
Indeed, thy Word and Spirit may worke in us some …shes of desire, and purposes of better obedience; but we are constant in nothing, but in perpetuall offending, only therein we cease not: for when we are waking, our flesh tempts us to wickednesse; if we 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 one praying? first we sinne, and then we pray thee to forgive it; and then returne to our sinnes againe, as if we came to thee for no other end, but to …rave leave to offend thee: Or, of thy granting our requests, we even dishonour thee, and blaspheme thy name, while thou d…st support and relieve us; runne from thee, while thou dost call us; and forget thee, while thou art feeding us: so thou sparest u…, wee sleepe; and to morrow wee sinne againe. O how justly mightest thou forsake us, as we forsake thee; and condemne us, whose consciences cannot but condemne our selves! but who can measure thy goodnesse, who givest …, and forgiv…st all? though wee be sinfull, yet tho …lov…st us; though we … miserably ingratefull, yet thou most plentifully bless…s… us: what should we have, if we did serve thee, … hast done all these things for thine enemies? O that thou who hast so ind…d us to serve thee, wouldest also give us hearts and hands to serve th…e with thi…e owne gifts!
We no sooner lived, then we deserved to …; neither n…d we any more …o cond…e us, th…n w…t we brought into … wor…d with … spared us to this …, to try if we … … thee … we … turned … by sinne: yet … séemes to … in … to no end: for wh… … by thy Word, we would not …uffer if in … many …ve … …t we would not suffer it … mov…d by thy ben…s, but … wo…ld not suffer them to … with the Devill, that we Devill, that we would … so fast as they come; thy … thy riches covetous, thy …ace wan…on, thy … …temperate, thy mercy secure; and all thy benefits serve … but as weapons to rebell against thee. We have prop…aned thy dayes, contemned thy ordinances, resis…ed thy Word, gréeved thy Spirit, misused thy Messengers, hated our Reprovers, slandered and persecuted thy people, seduced our friends, given ill example to our Neighbours, op…ed the mouthes of thine and our adversaries, to blaspheme that glorious name after which we are named; and the truth we professe: whereas meaner mercies and farre weaker meanes, have provoked others no lesse to honour thee, and the Gospell; who may justly rise up in iudgement against us. Besides, (which makes our case farre more miserable) we can scarce resolve to amend; or if we doe, we put off our conversion to hereafter: when we were children, we deferred to repent till we were men: now we are men, we deferre untill we he old men: and when we be old men, we shall defer it untill death, if thou prevent us not: and yet we looke for as much at thine hands, as they which serve thee all their lives.
Thus while we looke upon our selves, we are ashamed to lift up our eyes unto thee; yea, we are ready to despair… with Cain: yet when we thinke upon thy Son, and the rich promises of the Gospell, our feare is in some measure turned into ioy: while we consider that his righteousnesse for us, is more then our wickednesse against our selves; onelyonly give us faith we b…ch …, and settle it in thy beloved, that we may draw vertue from his death and resurrection, whereby we may be enabled to dye unto sinne, and live unto righteousnesse; and it sufficeth for all our iniquities, necessities, and infirmities.
It is true, O Lord, as wée were made after thine owne Image; so by sinne we have turned that Image of thine, into the Image of Satan: but turne thou us againe, and wee shall be turned into the Image and likenesse of thy Sonne: And what though our sinnes bee great, yet thy mercy is farre greater then our sinnes either are, or can be: wée cannot be so bad, as thou art good; nor so infinite in sinning, as thou art in pardoning, if wée repent. O that wée could repent! O that thou wouldest give us repentance! for we are weake, O Lord, and can no more turne our selves, then we could at first make our selves: ye…, we are altogether dead in sinne, so that we cannot stirre the least joynt, no not so much as féele o… deadnesse, nor desire life, except thou be pleas…d to raise and restore our soules from the death of …, and grave of long custome, …o the life of … we are to all evill, but reprobate and …sed to all grace and goodnesse; yea, to all the meanes thereof. Wée are altogether of our se…ves unble to resist the force of our mighty advers…, but doe thou frée our wils, and set to thy … hand, in … …owne by thy Spirit our …: … by thy grace subdue our unt… …, … wée …all henceforth as much honour …, as … our wickednesse we have …ormerly disho….
Wherefore of thy …, and for thy great names sake, we bes…ch thee, t…ke away our stony hearts, and … of …l…sh: enable us to repent what we … done, and never more to doe what we have once repented, not fostering any one sinue in our soules: reforme and change our mindes, wils, a…d affections, which we have corrupted; remove all impediments which hinder us from serving of thée, and direct all our thoughts, spéeches, and actions to thy glory, as thou hast …ted our eternall salvation thereunto. Let not Satan any longer prevayle, in causin… us to deferre our repentance; sicce we know, that late repentance is seldome sincere, and that sicknesse is no … time … so great a worke: as many have found that are now in Hell: Neither is it reasonable, thou shouldest accept of our féeble and decrepit old age, when we have spent all the f…ower, and strength of our youth, in serving of Satan: not once minding to leave sinne, untill sinne left us.
Yea, O Lord, give us firmely to resolve, spéedily to begin, and continually to persevere, in doing, and suffering thine holy will: Informe and reforme us so, that we may neither misbeléeve, nor mis-live: subdue our lusts to our wils, submit our wils to reason, our reason to faith; our faith, our reason, our wils, our selves, to thy blessed word and will. Dispell the thick mists and clouds of our sinnes, which corrupt our soules, and darken our understandings; separate them from us, which would separate us from thee: Yea, remove them out of thy …ight also, we most humbly beséech thee, a… farre as the East is from the West; and in the merits of thy Sonne, pardon and forgive us all th…se evils, which either in thought, word, or déed, we have this day, or any time heretofore committed against thee: whether they be the sinnes of our youth, or of our age; of omission, or commission; whether committed of ignorance, of knowledge, or against conscience, and the many checks and motions of thy Spirit.
And because infidelity is the bitter root of all wickednesse, and a lively faith the true mother of all grace and goodnesse: nor are we Christians indeed, except wee imitate Christ, and squ…re our lives according to the rule of thy Word: Give us that faith which manifesteth it selfe by a godly life; which purifyeth the heart, worketh by love, and sanctifyeth the whole man throughout. Yea since, if our faith be true and saving, it can no more be severed from unfained repentance, and sanctification, then life can be without motion, or the Sunne without light: give us spirituall wisedome, to try and examine our selves, 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 insufficiency of the things here below, to doe our poore soules 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 soule of our soules: considering, that if we have him, we want nothing; if we want him, we have nothing.
Finally, O Lord, give unto us, and increase in us all spirituall graces: inlighten our mindes with the knowledge of thy truth, and inflame our hearts with the love of whatsoever is good; that we may esteeme it our meate and drinke, to doe thy blessed will. Give us religious thoughts, godly desires, zealous affections, holy endeavours, assured perswasion… of …aith, stedfast waiting through hope, constancy in suffering through patience, and hearty rejoycing from love: regenerate our mindes, purify our natures, turne all our joys into the joy of the Holy Ghost; and all our peace into the peace of conscience; and all our feares into the feare of sinne, that we may love righteousnesse, with as great good will, as ever we loved wickednesse; and goe before others in thankefulnesse towards thee, as farre 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 houre of death: give us alwayes to thinke and meditate of the houre of death, the day of judgement, the joyes of Heaven, and the paines of Hell; together with the ransome which thy Sonne paid, to redeeme us from the one, and to purchase for us the other: so shall neither thy benefits, nor thy chastisements, nor thy word returne ineffectuall: but accomplish that for which they were sent, untill we be wholly renewed to the Image of thy Sonne.
And now O Lord, séeing the time approacheth which thou hast appointed for rest; and because we can neither wake nor sléepe without thee, who hast made the day and night, and rulest both: therefore into thy hands we commend our soules and bodies, beséeching thee to watch over us this night, and preserve us from all our spirituall, and bodily enemies; from theeves, fire, and from all other dangers.
These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisedome to be needfull, and necessary for our soules, or bodies or estates, or names or friends, or the who… Church, better th…n we our selves can either aske or thinke: and that for thy names sake, for thy promise sake, for thy mercies sake, for thy Sonnes sake, who suffered for sinne, 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; so whom with thee, and thy blessed Spirit, be ascribed as is most du…, all honour, glory, praise, power, might, maiesty, dominion, and hearty thankes-giving, the rest of this night following, and for evermore.
Amen.
A Prayer 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: We thy poore creatures acknowledge and confesse unto thee, who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts: that of our selves, we are not worthy to lift up our eyes to Heaven, much lesse to present our selves before thy Majesty with the least confidence, that thou shouldest heare our prayers, 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 meanes of grace, which in thy long-suffering thou hast afforded for our reclayming. We are the cursed séed of rebellious Parents, we were conceived in sinne, and borne the Children of wrath: And whereas thou mightest have executed thy fierce displeasure upon us, so soone as thou gavest us béeing; and so prevented our further dishonouring thee: we have instead of humbling our selves before thee our God, and …king reconciliation with thy Majesty: none nothing from our infancy, but added sinne unto sinne, in breaking every one of thine holy Lawes, which thou hast given us as rules and directions to walke by, and to kéepe us from sinning. Yea, there is not one of thy righteous precepts, which we have not broken more times, and wayes, then we can expresse: so far have we béen from a privative holinesse, in reforming that which is evill; and a positive holinesse in performing that which is good: which thou mayest justly require of us, being we had once ability so to doe, if we had not wilfully lost it: for thou diddest forme us righteous and holy, had not we deformed our selves; whereas now like Satan, we can doe nothing else but sinne, and make others sinne too, who would not so sinne, but for us: for we have an Army of uncleane desires, that perpetually fight against our soules; whereby we are continually tempted, drawne away, and enticed through our owne 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 darke Labyrinths of mans heart! who findes not in himselfe an indisposition of minde to all good, and an inclination to all evill?
And according to this our inclination, hath béene our practice: we have yéelded our hearts as cages to entertaine all manner of uncleane spirits, when on the contrary we have refused to yéeld them as temples for thine holy Spirit to dwell in. We have used all our wisedome, to commit the foolishnesse of sinne: our whole conversation hath béene to serve Satan, and fulfill the lusts of the flesh. We even sucke in iniquity like water, and draw on sinne as it were, with cart-ropes.
Neither is there any part, power, function, or faculty, either of our soules or bodies, which is not become a ready instrument to dishonour thee: for as our heart is a root of all corruption, a seedplot of all sinne; so our eyes, are eyes of vanity; our eares, eares 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 learne vertue, is apt now to apprehend nothing but sinne; the will which was given us to affect righteousnesse, is apt now to love nothing but wickednesse; the memory which was given us to remember good things, is apt now to keepe nothing but evill things: for sinne (like a spreading leaprosie) is so growne over us, that from the crowne of our heads, to the soale of our feet, there is nothing whole therein, but wounds, and swellings, and soares full of corruption. Yea, our soules and bodies are even a very sinke of sinne; for like the common shoare, we have not refused to welcome any, the most loathsome pollutions: that either the world, our owne corruption, or the Devill at any time hath offered unto us.
Or, admit we are exempt from some evils, wee may thanke thee, and not our selves for it: for we are ready without thy restrayning grace, to run out into all manner of enormities whatsoever: we are swift to all evill, but to all good immoveable▪ when we doe evill, we doe it chearefully, and quickly, and easily; but if we doe any good, we doe it faintly, and rawly, and slackly. When did we talke without vanity? when did we give without hypocrisie? when did we bargaine without deceit? when did we reprove without anger, or envy? when did wee heare without wearisomnesse? when did we pray without …diousnesse? such is our corruption, as if we were made to sinne, in deed, in word, or in thought. O the pride, passion, lust, envy, ignorance, awkwardnes, hypocrisie, infidelity, vaine 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 doe, abide the examination of …hy strict justice, untill it be covered with thy Sonnes righteousnesse; and the corruption thereof washed away in his most pretious bloud. Yea, if thou shouldest behold these our prayers, as they be in themselves, without having respect unto us in Christ Jesus; they would appeare no better in thy sight, then a menstruous cloth.
Yet, miserable wretches as we are, we like our owne condition so well, that we are not willing to goe out of our selves unto thee; who wouldest new make us, according to the Image of thy Sonne: for by long custome, wee have so turned delight into necessity, that we can as willingly leave to live, as leave our lusts: yea, we lo…e our sinnes so well, and so much above our soules, that (except thou change our hearts) we shall chuse to goe to Hell, rather then part with them. Thou hast used all manner of meanes to reclaime us, but nothing will serve; neither the menaces and terrours of thy Law, nor the precepts and swéet promises of thy Gospell… can doe it: We are neither softned with benefits, nor broken with punishments; thy severity will not terrify us, nor thy kindnesse mollify us. No, shouldest thou send an Angel from the dead to warne us, all perswasions would bee in vaine, since we heare Moses and the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles daily, and are never the better.
True, O Lord, there is a maine reason of it, which we cannot now helpe; for naturally we have eyes and sée not, eares and heare not, hearts and understand not. Yea, we are quite dead in sinne, untill thou doest boare our eares, soften our hearts, and breake in upon our consciences by the irresistible power of thy Spirit, and by going along with thy Word, shalt quicken our soules, and regenerate the whole man anew: In the meane time we are re…dy to receive all, and returne nothing but sinne and disobedience; wherein we more then abound: for we have done more against the… this wéeke, then we have done for thee ever since we were borne. And whereas the least of thy mercies, is greater th…n all the …urte…es of men, we are not so thankefull to thee for them all, as we are to a friend for some one good turne.
Neither doe we alone lay the fault upon our inability, or want of …upply from thee; but upon our owne pe…v…rsnesse, and want of endeavour, and putting forth that strength and ability, which thou hast given us: for how long hast thou (O most gratious God) stood at the doores of our hearts; and how often hast thou knockt, when we have refused to open, and let thee in? And if at any time we have beene over-ruled by the good motions of thy holy Spirit▪ yet have we still returned (with the Dog) to our vomit, and (with the Sow) refused the cleare streames of thy Commandements, to wallow in the myre of our filthy sinnes: whereby wee have justly deserved, that thou shouldest have called us to an account in the dead of our sléepe, and have judged us to eternall destruction; and never have suffered us againe to have seene the light of the Sun: the remembrance of which, together with our other rebellions; when we rightly consider them, makes us even spéechlesse like him in the Gospell: as neither expecting mercy, nor daring to aske it.
Howbeit, when we call to minde thy manifold mercies, shewed to Manasses, Paul, Mary Magdalen, the Theefe, and the Prodigall Sonne, with many others; who were no lesse vile then we, and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to heare, then they were to aske; and to give above what they durst presume to begg…: wee stay our selves, and receive some incouragement from the application of the merits of Christ Jesus; which thou hast promised, shall be a sufficient satisfaction for all our sinnes: and the rather, for that thou …allest all that are weary and heavy laden, with the burthen of their sinnes unto thee; with promise that thou wilt ease them: and hast promised, that though our sinnes be as red as scarlet, thou wilt make them white as snow; and that thou wilt not the death of a sinner, but that he turne from his wickednesse and live: and that at what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes, from the bottome of his heart, thou wilt blot out all his wickednesse out of thy remembrance. And least we should yet be discouraged, thou who diddest no lesse accept the will of David, then the act of Solomon, hast further promised, that if there be but first a willing minde, thou wilt accept of us according to that which we have, and not according to that which we have not.
But forasmuch O Lord, as thou knowest, that it is not in man to turne his owne heart, unlesse thou dost first give him grace to convert; for thou, O Lord, must worke in us both the will and the deed: and being that it is as easie with thee to make us righteous and holy, as to bid …s be such, O our God, give us ability, and willingnesse to doe what thou commandest, and then command what thou wilt; and thou shalt finde us ready to doe thy blessed will. Wherefore give to us, and increase in us all Christian graces, that we may know, and beleeve, and repent, and amend, and persevere in well doing. Create in us, O Lord, a new heart, and renew a right spirit within us: take away from us our greedy desire of committing sinne, and enable us by the powerfull assistance of thy grace, more willingly to obey thee in every of thy Commandements, then ever we have the contrary. Yea, let thy Spirit beare such rule in every one of our hearts, that neither Satan that forraine enemy, and roring Lyon; which seeketh to devoure us, may invade us; nor our own? concupiscence, that h…mebred traytor, may by conspiring with the world, worke the ruine and overthrow of our poore soules: but that all our wils which have beene altogether rebellious, our hearts which have beene the receptacles of uncleane spirits, and our affections which are altogether carnall; may be wholly framed according to thy holy and heavenly will. And that we may the better know how to avoyde the evill, and doe the good, let thy Word as a light, discover unto us all the …eights 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 Crosse like the Messenger, that compelled guests unto the Banquet.
Give us, O Lord, to consider, that although sinne in the beginning seeme never so sweet unto us, yet in the end it will prove the bane, and ruine both of body and soule: and so assist us with thy grace, that we may willingly part with our right eyes of pleasure, and our right hands of profit, rather then sin against thee, and wrong our owne consciences: considering that it would be an hard bargain, for us to win the whole world, and lose our owne soules.
Blesse, preserve and keepe us, from all the temptations of Satan, the world, and our wicked hearts: from pride, that Lucifer-like sinne, which is the fore-runner of destruction; considering that thou resistest the proud, and givest grace to the humble: from covetousnesse, which is the root of all evill; being taught out of thy Word, that the love of money hath caused many to fall into divers temptations, and snares, which drown them in perdition and destruction; from cruelty, that infernall evill, of which thou hast said, that there shall be judgement mercilesse, to him that sheweth not mercy: …om hypocrisie, that sinne 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, wee reade not of an hypocrites repentance; from whoredome, which is a sinne against a m…ns owne body, and the most inexcusable; considering the remedy which thou hast appointed against it: for the punishment whereof, the Law ordained death, and the Gospell excludeth from the Kingdome of Heaven: from prophana…ion of thy Day, considering thou hast said, that whosoever sanctifieth it not, shall bee cut off from thy people; and diddest command that he should be stoned to death, who onelyonly gathered a few sticks on that day: from swearing, which is the language of Hell; considering, that because of oaths the Land doth mourne, and thou hast threatned that thy curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer: from drunkennesse, that monster with many heads, and worse then beast-like sinne; which in thy Word hath many fearefull 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 constancy to persevere unto the end in thy truth; that so having passed our pilgrimage here, according to thy will, we may be at rest with thee hereafter, both in the night of death, when our bodies shall sleepe in the grave, and in the day of our resurrection, when they shall awake to iudgement, and both bodies and soules enjoy everlasting blisse.
Be favourable to thy people every where; look downe in much compassion upon thy Militant Church, and every severall member thereof: blesse it in all places with peace and truth, hedge it about with thy providence, defend it from the mischievous designes, and attempts of thine, and her malitious enemies: let thy Gospell goe on and conquer, maugre all opposition; that Religion and uprightnesse of heart may bee highly set by with all, and all prophanenesse may bee trod under foot. More particularly, be mercifull to this sinfull Land; thy Servant, our dread Soveraigne; his Honourable Counsell; the Civill Magistrates, the painfull Ministers, the two Vniversities; those people that sit yet in darkenesse; all the afflicted members of thy Sonne. Lord, comfort the comfortlesse, strengthen the weak, binde up the broken hearted, make the bed of the sicke, be a father to the fatherlesse, and an husband to the widdow; cloath the naked, feed the hungry, visit the prisoners, releive the oppressed; sanctifie unto them all their afflictions, and turne all things to the best to them that feare thee.
Prosper the Armies that fight thy battles, and shew a difference betweene thy servants, and thine enemies, as thou didst betweene the Israelites, and the Aegyptians; that the one may be confirmed, and the other reclaymed.
These, and all other good things, which for our blindnesse we cannot aske, vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants, not for our sakes, but for thy mercies sake; and for thy Sonne our Saviour Jesus Christs sake, in whom thou art well pleased; and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Crosse for our sinnes: who with thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth ever one God, world without end.
Let thy mighty hand, and out-stretched arme, O Lord, be still our defence; thy mercy and loving kindnesse in Jesus Christ thy deare Sonne, 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.
Babes that are inexpert in the Word of righteousnesse, use milke: But strong meate belongeth to them that are of full age.
Heb. 5. 13, 14.