Private Forms of Prayer, Title page 1 – Preface
Private Forms OF Prayer, Fitted for the late Sad-Times.
Particularly, A Form of Prayer for THE Thirtieth of January, Morning and Evening.
With Additions, &c.
London, Printed by Tho. Mabb, and to be sold by William Not, at the White Horse neer the little North door in Saint Pauls Church-yard, 1660.
Private Forms of Prayer Fit for Sad Times: Heretofore Printed at Oxford, and used (occasionally) upon Dayes of Solemn Humiliation and Fasting, In his late Majesties Royall Chappell of blessed and glorious Memory.
ALSO A Form of Prayer for the 30th. of January, Morning and Evening.
Likewise Prayers of Intercession for the Use of such as Mourn in Secret.
Together with a Collection of severall other Prayers.
PUBLISHED, That the world may take notice of the Powerfull (though Private) aydes, contributed by the joynt hands and hearts of such as were Gods Remembrancers and Mourners in Sion, during the late distractions in Church and STATE.
London, Printed by Tho. Mabb, and are to be sold by William Not, at the White Horse neer the little North-door in St. Pauls Church-yard, 1660.
St. James 5.13. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.
St. Math. 5.4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted.
Psal. 26.5.6.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtlesse come again with rejoycing, bringing his shelves with him.
The Preface.
OƲr Saviour Compares the Kingdome of Heaven, Mat. 13.45to a Merchant Man: And Merchants when they send out a Ship observe their Returnes We have been Long Adventurers to Heaven, and God hath been pleased at last to give us a gracious returne; to answer our Prayers even beyond our expectation and hopes.
When we were with the Disciples in the storme,Mat. 8 25. at Lord save us, We perish: Then did our saviour who before seemed to sleep (being awakened by the continued and faithfull prayers of the seven thousands who had not bowed their knees to Baal) rebuke the winds and the waves, still the raging of the Sea, and the madnesse of the people.Verse 26. And We trust now (as then) there will follow a great happy calme.
Hereupon As the very Heathen, When they had suffered shipwrack and got safe to land, were wont [appendere votivam Tabulam] to consecrate a votive table, and hang it up to the honour of their preserver Neptune.
As David after the slaughter of Goliath dedicated the Sword wherewith he had slain him, and had it kept behind the Ephod in the Tabernacle.
As God Commanded that a Pot of Manna should be kept for the Generations to come; that their Posterity might see how he fed their Fathers in the wildernesse.
As even in the Land of Canaan, the bitter herbs were still reserved in the eating of the passeover, in memory of that bitter servitude, they underwent in the House of Bondage.
So are these Prayers here, …ike the bitter herbes, or a bundle of Myrrhe, collected, re…erved and consecrated▪
To him, to whom they were levoutly offered up, the Father …f mercies, Scilicet ut fuso Tuarorum Sangune centum.and God of all Consolation.
To him, who accepts a little Frankincense piously offered, no lesse then a Hecatombe.Sic capitur minimo thuris honore Deus, Ovid.
To him who heareth Prayers, and hath not rejected ours.
To him, who hath turned our captivity, not his mercies from us.
It is of thy Goodness O Lord that we were not utterly consumed, It is because thy Compassions faile not.
Not unto Us, O Lord, no unto Us, but unto thy nam… give the Praise.
And the same gracious God who hath so happily begun, … wonderfully carried on, an… done so great things for us already, whereof we deservedly rejoyce;
He in his own time, perfec… his own work, his own way and make us a happy Churc… and Nation.
May, O may those black dayes never returne, which at first extorted these mournfull Threnodies, which are here presented for thy Consolation, Quae fuit …urum pati. Meminisse dulce est— Sen.(in looking back upon that which is past;) not thy use with respect to the future, of which may there never be any more occasion.
But for the time to come, may these Prayers be turned into Praises, this Euchologium into Doxologies, our Elegies into Hosanna's, and our Lamentations into Hallelujah's. And let all the People say Amen.