AN Help to Prayer. FOR THE Catechised YOUTH OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

[...]ery useful for Parents and Masters to teach their Children and Servants how to Pray.

[...]mprimatur,

Guil. Sill.
Martii,22. [...]678.

LONDON, [...]inted for Charles Brome, at the Gun at the West end of St. Pauls. 1686.

A PREFACE TO THE Christian Readers.

PRayer is the most comprehensive In­stance of Religious Worship, which we all ought to give unto God from our Youth up, and (to say nothing of its other Benefits,) of greatest influence into a good and vertuous life. It is great pity therefore that any should neglect thus to Honour God and profit themselves, for want of some plain and useful help for the due performance of it.

Those that stand most in need of Assi­stance this way, are the younger and more ignorant sort of People, Children and Ser­vants: whose Capacities are well to be con­sidered of: That neither their understand­ings be confounded with things above their reach, nor their memories over-burthened with too great a length or variety.

[Page] And, for such as these, methinks nothing can be more apposite than the pious and wholesome Direction of a Reverend Divine in his late Treatise of Prayer, That they would learn the Lords Prayer, Dr. Bright Treat. of Prayer, Cap 5. Sect. 19. p. 387. with the Expli­cation of it, and the sum of the Ten Command­ments in the Church Catechism turned into Prayer, and other short comprehen­sive Forms: and that Parents would be careful to teach their Children such, and see they say them.

In pursuance of which Excellent Advice, I do heartily recommend the ensuing Plat­form to all whose hearts God shall incline to make use of it: where I have prefixed the open and personal Profession of Chri­stianity it self, according to our Baptismal Vow; a Point which I conceive of great usefulness in it self, and the greater still, because Confirmation is so much neglected.

This Religious course will make the Plain and Godly Principles of the Church [Page]Catechism (which is too commonly despised) to take the deeper Root, and stick the faster in the minds and affections of those that have learnt it, and help exceedingly to reduce those fruitful Principles into pra­ctice: being a continual Monitor both of the threefold Engagement we are under as Christians, and the chief Rules we are taught to observe in Order to our discharge thereof.

I will say no mare of it farther, but this that it seems to me a good expedient a­gainst many extravagancies, which attend Arbitrary and Extempore Devorions: and may possibly train up a Generation of Ho­nest and Orderly Christians to succeed us.

Only I must admonish those who make use of this Plat-form, these two things in the General.

I. That they bethink themselves what they are going about; namely to Address unto, and Worship the Great God of Hea­ven and Earth, who is present with them, though they see him not, to behold and observe all their carriage: And,

[Page] II. That they say and repeat every clause Leisurely, Gravely, Distinctly; and labour to keep their Eyes from wandring, and their Thoughts as intent as may be, to the words they utter; and, as they grow in years, improve in the considering more de­liberately of them, and being affected with them.

And so I leave this Charitable Help, intended for Beginners, to their kind ac­ceptance, and God Almighty's Blessing up­on the conscionable use of it.

AN Help to Prayer.

Fall down upon thy Knees with Reverence, and say;

GOD be merciful to me a Sinner!

Enter not into judgment with thy Servant, O Lord: for in thy sight shall no man li­ving be justified.

A Form of daily acknowledging and confirming our Bap­tismal Vow.

I Do, before God and his Holy Angels, Acknow­ledg and Renew the Solemn Promise and Vow, made in my name at Baptism; and do verily think, that I am bound in Conscience,

  • I. To renounce the Devil and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World, and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh:
  • II. Heartily to Believe, and openly to profess, All the Articles of the Christian Faith: and
  • III. To keep God's Holy Will and Command­ments, and walk in the same all the days of my Life.

And Thus, by God's help, I will do.

And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father, that [Page 2]he hath called me to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That is, That he hath made me a Member of Christ, a Child of God; and an In­heritor of the Kingdom of Heaven; upon these Gracious Terms and Conditions which are all for my greatest Good.

But, knowing that I am not able to do these things of my self, I pray unto God for his Grace, which he hath promised unto them that ask it, that I may both perform and continue in the same unto my lives end. Amen.

Then say the Lords Prayer.

OVr Father which art in Heaven,

Hallowed be thy Name;

Thy Kingdom come;

Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven;

Give us this day our daily Bread;

And Forgive us our Trespasses, as we

Forgive them, that trespass against us;

And lead us not into Temptation,

But Deliver us from Evil;

For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory; for ever and ever. Amen.

And add this Paraphrase upon it.

O Lord God, our Heavenly Father, the giver of All Goodness!

Send thy Grace, I beseech thee, unto me and All people, That we may Worship Thee, Serve Thee, and Obey Thee, as we ought to do: even as Saints and Angels do in Heaven.

And I pray unto Thee, O God, That Thou wouldst [Page 3]send us All things, that be needful, both for our Souls and Bodies; for this Life and a better.

And that Thou wouldest be Merciful unto us, and forgive us our Sins upon our True Repentance; As thou hast commanded us, and by Thy Grace we are disposed to forgive those that Treaspass a­gainst us.

And that it will please Thee to save and defend us in all dangers, Ghostly and Bodily, That we be not hurt by the Assaults of the one or other.

And that Thou wouldest keep us from all Sin and Wickedness; [which is the greatest evil] and from that evil one, our Ghostly Enemy, [the Devil] and from Everlasting Death; the most dreadful of penal evils, which is the due wages of Sin.

And all this, O Heavenly King and Father, as Thou art able to do by thy Power, so, I trust, Thou wilt do for us of Thy Mercy and Goodness, which is Thy cbiefest Glory, through our Lord Jesus Christ: and therefore, to testifie both my earnest Desire and Hope, I say, Amen. So be it. So by the Grace of God it shall be.

Instead of the Creed this Doxology.

Then rise up, and instead of the Creed, which thou mayst sometimes also Rehearse, say this Dox­ology devoutly,, which takes in the Three things that we chiefly learn from thence.

Glory be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator, Preserver and Governour of all things, visible and invisible, who hath made, doth Preserve and Govern me, and all the World!

[Page 4] And to the Only-Begotten Son of that Eternal Father, who in the fulness of Time was made Man, and hath Redeemed me, and all Mankind, with his most precious Blood!

And to the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Fa­ther and the Son, the Sacred Spirit of Light, and Grace, and Comfort, who sanctifieth me, and all the Elect people of God, that is, All true Christians!

As it was in the Beginning, is now, and over shall be, World without End. Amen. Lord I Believe, help thou my Unbelief.

Then fall again on thy Knees, as before, and say

The X. Command­ments turn'd into Prayer.Have Mercy upon me, O Lord, have Mercy upon me, a miserable Offender; for ever miserable with­out Thy Mercy; and incline my heart to keep all thy Commandments, I be­seech Thee:

That I may both knew and practise my bounden Duty.

The sum of the first Table.

That I may Believe whatsoever Thou sayest, who art Truth it self; and fear to Offend thy Maje­sty; and love thee above all, with all my Heart and Mind, and Soul, and Strength; That I may Worship Thee as Thou requirest, in SPIRIT and TRUTH: That I may in every thing give Thanks unto Thee for thy Benefits, and at all times, put my whole Trust and Confidence in Thee; [Page 5]and in all my wants call upon Thee by Prayer and Supplication: That I may Honour Thy Holy Name, and Thy Word; and serve Thee truly, as on the Days set apart for thy Worship, so all the Days of my Life.

The Sum of the second Table.

And that, for thy sake I may love my Neigh­bours as my self; and to do unto all and every Man as I would they should do unto me, in the like Relation and Condition of Life:

More particularly,
That as a dutiful Child, I may Love, Honour, and Succour upon occasion, as I am able, my Na­tural Parents, Father and Mother:

That, as a Good and Loyal Subject, I may Ho­nour and Obey the King, [the Father of my Country] and all that are put in Authority under him:

That I may Submit my self to all my Governours, Teachers, Spiritual Pastors, and Masters:

That I may order my self lowly and reverently to all my betters:

That I may hurt no body by Word or Deed; but be true and just in all my dealings:

That I may bear no malice, nor Hatred or Revenge in my Heart: [which is Spiritual Murther.]

That I may keep my hands from Picking and Stealing; which is often a step to greater wickedness.

That I may keep my Tongue [that unruly Mem­ber] from evil Speaking, Lying, and Slandering; [so common in the World.]

[Page 6] That I may keep my Body in Temperance, Sober­ness and Chastity, undefiled with Fleshly lusts, such as the Sins of Gluttony, and Drunkenness, Fornica­tion and Adultery.

That I may not so much as Covet or desire Other men's Goods; but learn and labour truly, [with Con­tentment and Diligence] to get my own living, and do my duty in that state of Life, whatsoever it be, un­to which it shall please Thee to call me. Amen.

Concluding with this Collect.

The Collect to be added hereto.O Almighty Lord, and Everlasting God; Vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, to Direct, Sanctifie, and Govern both my Heart and Body, in the ways of these thy Holy Laws, and the Works of Thy Commandments; that through thy most Mighty Protection, both here and ever, I may be preserved in Body and Soul, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Then say the Collect for Morning, or Evening.

For the Morning. ‘O Lord, and Heavenly Father, Almighty and Ever­lasting God, who hast safely brought me to the begin­ning of this Day; [for which I bless thee] defend me in the same with thy mighty power; and grant, that this Day I fall into no Sin, nor return into any kind of danger; but that all my doings being ordered by Thy Gover­nance, I may do always that which is righteous in Thy sight, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’

For the Evening. ‘Lighten my Darkness, I beseech Thee, O Lord [Page]and Father of Lights] and by thy great Mercy defend me from all Perils and dangers of this night, for the [...]ove of thy only Son, my Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.’

Then Recomend thy self, Relations and Friends to God's Blessing, Thus,

The concluding Benedictions.God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, whose I am and whom I serve; in whose Name was Baptized, and to whose Faith and Fear I am de­ [...]oted, Bless me both in Soul and Body, Prosper the work of my hands, and the way of my goings; and to­gether with me, Bless my Soveraign Lord the King, with all the Royal Family, and all that Minister under him, both in Church and State; my Honoured Parents, and those in their place and stead; my Father and Mo­ther, Grand-Father and Grand-Mother, God-Fathers and God-Mothers, Uncles and Aunts, my Brothers and Sisters, with the rest of my natural Kindred and Relati­ons; my Master and Mistress, all my Benefactors and good Friends; the Family wherein I am and all the Neighbourhood about me; with all Blessings Tempo­ral and Spiritual, Now and Ever. Amen.

Thy Grace, O Lord Jesus Christ; Thy Love O Heavenly Father; Thy in-lightning, Sanctifying and Comforting Fellowship, O Sacred Spirit, be with me, and all I should pray for, This day [or this night] and Evermore. Amen, Amen.

THE END.

Postscript.

IF this course of Prayer seem too long for any, t [...] may sometimes omit one part, and sometimes a [...] ­ther; but so, as to reassume them at times of grea [...] vacancy and leisure, such as Sundays and Holy-day [...] wherein I advise to use them all.

And if any, on the other side, think them too short [...] They have a farther supply at hand in the Publick Li [...] ­turgie; out of which I recommend to them these parti­cular Prayers and Collects to be gotten without Book.

  • The Prayer for all Conditions of men, and
  • The General Thanksgiving.

Then before they read in their Bibles, or go to Church to Hear, This Collect.

Blessed Lord, who hath caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our Learning: Grant that we may in such wise Hear them, Read, Mark, Learn, and inwardly Digest them, that by Patience and Comfort of Thy Holy word we may embrace, and ever hold fast the Blessed Hope of Everlasting Life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

After Reading or Hearing, This.

Grant, we beseech Thee Almighty God, that the Words which we have this day Read [or Heard with our outward ears] may through thy Grace be so graft­ed inwardly in our Hearts, that they may bring forth in us the Fruit of goodliving, to the Honour and Praise of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[Page] Grace before Meals.

O God, in whom I live, and Move, and have my Being, bless thy good Creatures, I beseech Thee, to my Use, and me to thy Service, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

After Meals.

The God of all Power and Glory, who hath Created, Redeemed, and at this time plentifully fed me, His Holy Name be blessed and praised for ever. Amen.

Upon all occasions, These Pious Collects.

Lord of all Power and Might, who art the Author and Giver of all good things, graft in our Hearts the Love of thy name; increase in us true Religion; nou­rish us with all Goodness, and of thy great Mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty and Everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are Penitent; Create and made in us New and Contrite Hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our Sins, and acknowledging our Wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all Mercy, perfect Remission and For­giveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a Sacrifice for Sin, and also an Example of Godly Life; give us Grace, that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit; and also daily endeavour our selves to follow the blessed steps of his most Holy Life, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [With many others.]

FINIS.

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