II.

Make me to remember into whose Presence I am come, and with whom I have to do; even with a God of infin [...]te Majesty; before whom the Cherubims veil their Faces, as being astonished at the Presence of so great a God as thou art. How dare I then, a mo [...]t vile and sinful Creature, who am but Dust and Ashes, presume to appear at this time before thee, who have drunk Iniquity like Water, breaking so often thy holy Laws and Com­mandments, [Page 9] by committing those things thou forbiddest: and leaving undone those good things thou commandest.

III.

But I come unto thee, O Lord, in the name of thy dear Son, Jesus Christ the Righteous; who hath redeemed me with his most precious Blood. O then look upon me in him, and for the merits of his Sufferings, par­don all my Sins, and blot out my Offences. Strike an awful reverence in my Soul, that I may continually keep a watch over my Thoughts, Words, and Actions, least my Presumption, and want of due Reverence un­to thy Deity, should turn my Prayers into Sin.

IV.

Give me a lively apprehension of all my wants and necessities, [Page 10] and a right Understanding both of those Blessings which I have received from thee, and of those great Mercies which thou hast promised to bestow on them that ask thee; that so I may be endued with Expressions both for Prayer and Thankfulness; and may become able, by the assistance of thy Grace, to pour out my Soul continually before thee. Support me with Faith, that I may come with a good assurance to thy Throne of Grace, to offer up my earnest Supplications unto thee, and let me not go away from thy pre­sence without a Blessing.

V.

Grant, Lord, that this holy Exercise of Prayer may prove a delight to me! O make me constant and diligent in the use of it; remembring the speedy [Page 11] access the Prayers of the Faith­ful have in thy Presence; and what a great Privilege it is for poor Mortals to unfold their Wants, and lay open their De­sires and Griefs before thee.

VI.

Ever, O Lord, let the end of my Prayers be to thy Glory; always exercising a Conscience void of Offence, by offering up my Thanksgivings for Mercies received, as I shall be earnest in suing for those Gifts and Graces I stand in need of. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of thy dear Son, my only Sa­viour and Redeemer, Amen.

II.

This Day make me hear thy Voice, and not harden my Heart [Page 16] through unbelief or deceitful­ness of Sin, but that by Faith I may enter into thy promised Rest: Give Grace unto me, O Lord, and to all People, to walk circumspectly and diligently, to do such good Works wherewith thou may'st be well pleased; so that walking in thy Ways, and according to thy Command­ments, I may work out my own Salvation with fear and trem­bling; that as my Body draws nearer the Grave, my Soul may approach the nearer Heaven.

III.

O Lord, I beseech thee, to be merciful unto me, and as of thy goodness thou givest me time to Repent, so of thine infinite Mer­cy give me such a true, holy, and perfect Repentance, never to be repented of: And grant, O Lord, that I may unfeigned­ly [Page 17] Resolve and effectually La­bour to amend my Life this Day, even to my Life's end, that so I may never be tempted above what I am able to bear.

IV.

I am beginning the Week, but alas I begin not to be re [...]or­med in my Life and Conversa­tion, but the more Weeks pass over my Head, the greater bur­then of Sin I take upon my Back, and do the more defile my Conscien [...]e. Day by Day I run on in my Wickedness, and ne­ver say to my self, What have I done? If I should at this Week's end cast up the Account of my good Deeds, how few Lines, alas would they contain!

V.

O Lord, I beseech thee, par­don and forgive me all my Sins, remove them out of thy pre­sence, [Page 18] as far distant as the East is from the West. Accept of me in the Death and Passion of thy Son Jesus Christ, that wher [...] I shall come into thy Temple, to compass thine Altar, my Prayers may come up before thee as Incense, and the lifting up of my Hands as an Evening Sacrifice.

VI.

And as I desire that thou wouldst hear me calling upon thee in my Prayers, so give me Grace to hear thee calling upon me in thy Word. It is the word of Truth, Wisdom, Righteous­ness, and Reconciliation, which is able to save my Soul in the Day of the Lord Jesus▪ grant therefore that I may hear it with Reverence, receive it with Meek­ness, and mingle it with Faith, that it may accomplish in me [Page 19] that good Work, for which thou hast sent it.

VII.

I know not alas how to Wor­ship thee as I ought; my Sins have made a Wall of separation betwixt-thee and me, so that neither my Prayers can ascend up unto thee as they should, nor thy Graces descend upon me as I would desire them. O break, I beseech thee, this parti­tion-Wall, slide thou down into the secret Habitation of my Heart by thy mighty Power, and strengthen every privy Cor­ner of that neglected House, by the brightness of thy Illumina­tion; feed thou every secret part both of my Mind and Body; keep me from Sin, and let me serve thee this Day in thy San­ctuary.

VIII.

Bless those Messengers o [...] thine, O Lord, that break unt [...] me the Bread of Life. As tho [...] hast placed them like Beacons o [...] thy holy Hill, the Church, giv [...] them Grace (with the five Wis [...] Virgins) that their Light may never go forth, but still shine brightly to arm us thy People against the Invasion of that E­nemy of Mankind, the Devil, and his Army, that Day and Night seek to devour us.

IX.

Let me spend the rest of my uncertain Life in a renewed Re­pentance for my Sins past, and an holy Resolution to serve thee for the time to come. Grant, O Lord, these and all other Graces meet for me, for thy Son's sake, my only Lord and Saviour; To whom with Thee [Page 21] and the Holy Ghost, be all Praise and Glory, for ever­more.

Amen

II.

Make this Religious Place as thine Ark, and let thy Dove, thy holy Spirit, enter in at these windows; let a good measure of thy word, and an effectual [Page 22] preaching thereof, be evermore preserved and distributed in this place; let no evil Leprosie ever enter into these Walls, nor the hand of Sacrilege ever fall up­on them.

III.

The Harvest is great, but the Labourers are few; send forth, I beseech thee, more into thy Vineyard, and endue them with such Wisdom as becometh thy holy Gospel. Open unto them the Door of Utterance, and un­to me the Gate of Understand­ing, that they may faithfully dispend thy Mysteries, and I fervently embrace the same, to thy Glory, and the Salvation of my Soul, through Jesus Christ my only Lord and Savi­our,

Amen

II.

Vouchsafe to me, O Lord, I beseech thee, thy Heavenly Grace, that I may avoid the precipices of Sin, which lead to destruction, and endeavour to serve thee, in Holiness and Righteousness all the Days of my Life: Grant that in thy [Page 24] Light I may see Light; and as I have begun this Day in prai­sing and lauding thy holy Name so let it end to thy Glory: To whom be ascribed all Honour, Power, and Glory, both now and for evermore.

Amen

II.

But if thou, O God, should be extream to mark what done amiss, O Lord, who ca [...] abide it: or stand before th [...] when thou art angry? Remember that I am but dust and ashe [...] and the work of thine ow [...] hands: Pardon, I beseech the [...] and pass by all my Sins, Negl [...] gences, and Ignorances; loo [...] not upon the weakness of m [...] [Page 27] Flesh, but upon the willingness [...]f my Spirit, and so cover all [...]y imperfections, with the [...]erfect and absolute obedience [...]f thy dear Son, that those Sa­ [...]rifices offered up by me this day [...]ay be by thee accepted, in, [...]nd for that Sacrifice which Christ Jesus offered upon the Cross once for me.

III.

And as I earnestly desire that my Sacrifices may be pleasing and acceptable to thee, so let thine Ordinances be profitable to me. And as thou hast this day sown [...]n my heart the precious seed of thy Word, so let neither the Fowls of the Air devour it, nor the Cares of the World choak [...]it; but let the former and the [...]atter Rain of thy blessing come often upon it, that it may bring forth in me the Fruits of true [Page 28] Repentance, and hearty amen [...] ment of Life. Pardon my m [...] nifold Sins by which I hav [...] provoked thee this very day.

IV.

Be thou unto me a mercifu [...] God, in despite of the Snare and Delusions which Sin lays i [...] the way for my Destruction and keep me under the shadow of thy Wings, in perpetua [...] Peace and Safety. Bless me thi [...] Night; sleeping or waking, giv [...] thine Angels charge over me that at whatsoever hour thou callest me, I may, like a faithful Soldier, stand ready prepared to encounter Death, and to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth. Grant these things, O blessed Father, for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake my only Saviour and Redeem­er.

Amen

II.

I confess, O Lord, that I am altogether Vanity, a shadow of Death, a dark Dungeon, a bar­ren and empty Ground, where no Water is, but deluges of Wrath and Confusion: But, O Lord, I abhor my self, and re­pent [Page 31] before thee in dust and ashes; and as Sins of Infirmity have thrown me down, raise me up again, I beseech thee, by the Gift of Penitence, that I may lead a holy Life with all Humility, Truth and Justice, Godliness and Honesty, in this present World.

III.

I bless thy holy Name for thy Care and Protection over me this Night; that thou hast safe­ly brought me to the beginning of this day, delivering me from the shadow of Death O Lord continue thy wonted goodness towards me this Day, and grant that all my Prayers, Words, Works and Actions, may begin and end in thy Glory.

IV.

Keep me, O Lord, I be­seech thee, this day without, [Page 32] sin, and so replenish me with thy Favour and Grace that my heart may rejoyce and delight in thy praises. Deliver me, O Lord, from lying Lips, and from a deceitful Tongue; keep me from the Snare of the Hun­ter, and from the noisom and infectious Pestilence; from deadly Vexation, mortal Sick­ness, and sudden Death.

V.

Protect me in the day of my Trouble; give me a contented Mind, which may remain unto me a continual Feast, in what­soever changes or chances may befall me in this transitory Life. Grant that I may yield up my self to thy good Pleasure in all things, and be obedient un­to those holy Commandments which thou hast appointed for my Rule and Guide. So that [Page 33] at the last I may find, that in keeping thy Holy Laws there is great Reward: Grant this, O heavenly Father, for thy Son's sake, my only Redeemer.

Amen

II.

Create in me a clean Heart, and renew a right Spirit within me: Let me not be for ever se­parated from the sweet refresh­ings of thy Favourand presence; but give me the comfort of thy help again, and let thy free Spirit loose me from the bon­dage of Sin, and establish me in the freedom and liberty of the Sons of God: So shall I praise thy Name, and evermore sing of thy Righteousness in the Congregation of thy redeemed ones, now, henceforth, and for ever.

Amen

II.

I magnifie thy holy Name for thy preservation of me this Night. Grant that I may walk this Day according to thy hea­venly will in all things, not re­turning [Page 40] evil for good, but on the contrary good for evil. Dis­perse from me all clouds of Envy, Hatred or Malice which seem to hover over me; and though heaviness may endure for a Night; yet, O Lord, let thy Joy, and light of thy coun­tenance appear in the Morning.

III.

Give me Grace not to rejoice in any thing that displeaseth thee, but evermore to delight in those things which are most pleasing to thee, be they never so disagreeable to my desires. Defend me, O Lord, from all shame and disgraces of this life; mortifie all the corrupt affecti­ons that are in me, and pardon the innumerable Sins which I have committed. Bless, pre­serve and keep me this Day by thy power from sin, shame and [Page 41] all evil, and so direct me by thy [...]ace, that all my thoughts, words and works may please [...]hee, through the merits of Je­sus Christ, my only Lord and Saviour.

Amen

II.

Let me earnestly seek, and find thee, O my hearts desire; and [Page 42] let me hold thee fast, whom my Soul loveth; let me enjoy thee, O my spiritual comfort, in all my faculties, even in my heart let me possess thee. Be thou for ever present with me in all my undertakings; let thy Favour refresh me, and thy Grace which is sufficient for me, support me; though I walk through this valley and shadow of Death, I may fear no Evil while thy rod and thy staff comfort me.

III.

Convert and turn the hearts of those which seek to do me E­vil; and do hate me without a cause: keep me from their an­ger, which is fierce, and from the wrath of them which are cruel; and bring them down in their high imaginations, lest they be too proud. Grant that the [Page 43] remaining part of this Day, I may walk in thy Fear; so that at the last I may enter into thy Glory, through the merits of Jesus Christ my only Saviour.

Amen

II.

Let not the meanness of my Devotion cause thee to turn a­way thine Eyes from me, but according to thine accustomed kindness, spare thy Servant, good Lord, and be not angry with him for ever. Preserve me this Night, O thou that preservest all the World; and taking my natural repose, I may through thy protection and ready help, be defended both now and ever­more.

Amen

II.

Be gracious to my Relations in the flesh, my Friends in the spi­rit, with all those to whom I am any way bounden, or desire to be commended unto thee in my Prayers and Supplications. Ex­pel, O Lord, and cast out of my heart all evil Imagination, Hatred, Malice, and all Uncha­ritableness, and whatsoever is contrary to thy holy Command­ments.

III.

I praise thy holy Name for thy preservation of me this Night past, for the Gifts and Graces of thy Blessed Spirit; as Faith in thy Promises, Hope of a bet­ter Life when this is ended, and strength against all the tempta­tions of Satan; all which have [Page 49] proceeded from the Fountain of thy Mercy: As thou hast of thy Providence kept me ever since I was born, and in Mercy pre­served me the beginning of this Week, so to my Comfort grant me the continuance of the same, through Jesus Christ, my only Redeemer and Advocate.

Amen

II.

But, alas, can there be greater Mercies, O Lord, than thou hast already expressed towards me! for whilst I have enjoyed all thy Mercies, others have lived in penury and want, in ignorance, profaneness, and without thee in the World.

III.

What can I render unto the Lord for all his Mercies towards me? Let me not pledge Joseph's Botler in his Cup of Oblivion, but David rather in his Cup of Salvation; and if my single heart be too barren of thankful­ness, let me borrow a magnificat O my Soul, to magnifie Thee O Lord, and let my Spirit re­joyce [Page 51] in thee, O God my Savi­our. What shall I say unto thee, O thou Redeemer of all Mankind? I will praise thy holy Name. For evermore inspire me with thy Spirit, convert me from Evil, confirm me in all Goodness, and bring me at last unto thy heavenly Kingdom.

Amen

II.

Stir up in me all dull and dead Affections, that I may hunger and thirst after thee, the well­spring of Life. Forgive me all my misdemeanours of this day past; make me to remember, that Sin is filthy and loathsome, even in the greatest pleasure and act thereof; teach me to keep a continual watch over my inward and outward Man, whereby I may be afraid to commit the least Sin, that so I may walk according to thy ho­ly will in all things.

III.

Give me this Night sweet and comfortable rest, and fit me, O Lord, for the duties and service of the next day: Turn from me O Lord those judgments which [Page 53] my sins have justly deserved, and renew those hopes which thou hast been pleased to frustrate; crown me with those blessings, which thou hast promised to all these that fear thy Name, so that at the last I may attain everlast­ing Happiness, and live with thee in perpetual peace and safety for evermore.

Amen

II.

In thy merits I beseech thee to look upon me: thou art that living Sacrifice that was offered up for me, and in thy Name do I offer up unto thee this my [Page 56] morning Sacrifice; evermore praising thee, and magnifying thy holy Name. Mortifie in me all fleshly Corruptions; quicken me in the inner Man: By the power of thy death let me die unto Sin, and by the power of thy Resurrection, let me rise to Righteousness and newness of Life. Let the one as an antidote expel the poison of Ungodlyness, and the other as a restorative excite me to Ho­liness.

III.

Enlighten my Understand­ing, that I may know thy Will; reform my Life, that I may do all things aright, and to discern Good and Evil. Teach me to fear thy Name, to neglect all things in regard of thee, to be grieved at my own and others Sins; but rejoyce exceedingly [Page 57] whensoever I can please thee. Let me this Day labour, that whatsoever I do may be plea­sing in thy sight; as I am thy Servant, let me depend upon thee, and as I am a Christian, walk worthy of my Vocation and Calling.

IV.

Be gracious and favourable unto the whole Church, and bless every particular Member thereof; be good to the light of our Eyes, the breath of our Nostrils, thy Solomon, our gra­cious King; bless thine own Tribe, the Tribe of Levi, the Nobility, Gentry, and Com­monalty, and let thy Peace rest upon those that pray for our Peace, wheresoever dispersed o­ver the Face of the whole Earth. Lord keep me the remaining part of this Day in thy Truth, [Page 58] and give me Peace and true Faith in thee, now and for e­vermore.

Amen

II.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to extend thine accustomed goodness, and protection over me this Night, that I may peaceably and quiet­ly take my rest, which thou hast appointed for the refresh­ing of my wearied and weak body: and I beseech thee to de­fend me, that nothing hurt me; keep me also, good Lord, from sudden and unprovided Death, and preserve me by the guard of thy holy Angels, that I may en­joy my rest this Night in thee until the Morning, and then give [Page 61] my self to the fulfilling of my Duty, the discharge of my Em­ployment, and the working of thy will unto my life's end.

III.

In whose Name I referr my self wholly to the Almighty Protection, even in the Name of thy blessed Son Jesus Christ the Righteous; beseeching thee that when this Life shall have an end, and my last sleep being come, I may take my everlast­ing Rest with thee in thy hea­venly Kingdom; for the which Kingdom, I do heartily beseech thee of thine inestimable good­ness, to fit and prepare me and all other thy Servants to the at­tainment of the same; for the glory of thy holy Name, and the everlasting comfort of our own Souls.

Amen

II.

For, alas, I draw near unto thee with my lips, but my heart is far from thee; I call upon thee with my tongue, but my [Page 66] soul at the same time commits wickedness against thee: My righteousness comes short of the Scribes and Pharisees, and are but as filthy Rags: my holiness but as a morning Dew, yea all my actions of Devotion (if weighed in thy Balance) are but abomination in thy sight: From the soal of the Foot, un­to the crown of the Head, I am altogether polluted and un­clean; yea nothing to be found in me but wounds, and putre­fied sores, imprinted and stam­ped into my soul and flesh by the custom of my Sin.

[...].

My Eyes are full of Vanity, my Ears full of [...]niquity, my Hands of Impurity, my Will perverse to that which is Good, my Remembrance affable [...]nd pleasing to that which is Evil, [Page 67] my Understanding is darkned, my Conscience seared, my Head full of mischief, my feet swift to shed blood; Destruction and Wickedness are in all my ways, and the way of Peace have I not known.

IV.

Since then, O Lord, that my Sins are so great and grievous against thy Law and against thy Gospel, if thou shouldest be so extream as to mark against me what I have done amiss, who is able to abide it? If thou shouldst call me suddenly to a strict ac­count, how should I shew my Face? If I deny waht is laid to my charge, my Conscience will accuse me; If I forswear, the dumb and senseless Creatures will bear witness against me.

V.

Whom have I in Heaven but [Page 68] thee, and there is no Friend in the Earth beneath, which I have in comparison of thee, no other Mediator amongst Men and An­gels, but even thine only be­gotten Son Christ Jesus, in whom only thou art well plea­sed? by the virtue of whose Death and Passion, and the re­membrance of whose precious blood, which trickled down from his side, wash me from my sins; and besprinkle my polluted Heart from an evil Conscience.

VI.

And I beseech thee O Lord, not only to wash away my sins with the blood of thine imma­culate Lamb, but also to purge my heart by thine only Spirit, from the dross of my natural Corruptions, that I may feel thy Spirit more and more, kil­ling Sin in the power & practice [Page 69] thereof; so that I may with more freedom of mind and li­berty of will, serve thee the e­ver▪ living God, in Righteousness and Holiness this Day, and all the days of my Life, for ever­more.

Amen

II.

End these sinful days; O blessed Redeemer, and hasten thy coming; and give me Grace to stand ready prepared to meet thee, who art the sweet Bride­groom of my Soul; that at thy coming, whether it be by the hour of Death, or at the day of Judgment, I may joyfully pro­nounce those blessed words of, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

III.

Deliver me, O Lord, from all those heavy Judgments which hang over my head as due unto me for my Transgressions: se­parate [Page 71] them as far from thy pre­sence in distance, as the East is from the West; bury them all in thy Grave, that they neither rise to shame me in this Life, nor condemn me in the World to come: To whom be ascribed for thine infinite Mercy, all Honour, Praise and Glory, from this time forth and for ever­more.

Amen

II.

Let not the Enemy come up­on me unawares and find me slumbering or sleeping, as rocked in the Cradle of carnal Security; lest I being unarm'd and desti­tute of thy favour and help, he enter into the House of my sin­ful Body, and their takes pos­session of my leprous Soul; and endanger both to be thrown in­to the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone.

III.

Make me to consider that my Bed is but a pattern of the Grave, and that when I lay my self down in it, I cannot rise up unless thy heavenly Providence enables me. Teach me to ac­knowledge that sleep is the very Figure and Image of Death, to whose stroak at thy appointed time, I must submit and resign [Page 73] my self; endue me with Love and Charity to all Men; let my Lamp, O Lord, be filled with fresh Oil, that whensoever thy Messenger, Death, approaches, and knocks at the Gate of this mortal Body, I may at his Summons in the day of the Re­surrection of the Dead, be rea­dy to attend on thee my Bride with my Lamp burning.

IV.

Let me be ever mindful of the great and last day, wherein I must render an account of e­very idle thought, word, and work, and grant I may be pre­pared with Faith and Repen­tance, as with a Wedding-Gar­ment, against the time that thou, O Lord, shalt call for me out of this sinful World. In the mean time, let me fly from Sin as from a Serpent, and from [Page 74] unrighteousness as from a Cock­atrice, and above all things seek thy Glory; and when this mor­tal Life is ended I may be made partaker of Immortality, and Life Eternal, in thy most blessed and glorious Kingdom.

V.

Let thy Mercy and Loving­kindness follow me, O Lord, all the days of my Life, that I may dwell in thy House and e­vermore praise thy holy Name? grant that I may in the acknow­ledgment of thy greatness, con­fess my own unworthiness; and visit me, O Lord, by driving from me all the Assaults of my Enemies, both ghostly and bo­dily.

VI.

Let thy holy Angel be with me, to keep me this Night, and evermore; fit me for the duties [Page 75] of the next day, if it be thy heavenly will to spare me this Night▪ this, O Lord, I beg at thy merciful Hands, through the Merits and Mediation of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee, and the Holy Ghost, now and for ever.

Amen

II.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to for­give whatsoever I have commit­ted against thy divine Majesty [Page 79] this Night, either sleeping or waking; or at any other time, secretly or openly: Grant unto me unfeigned Repentance, and newness of Life; open unto me, O Lord, that ever-streaming Fountain, which thou hast o­pened for Sinners, even the Blood of thy dear Son Christ Jesus; and which thou hast promised under the New Testa­ment to open to the penitent of the House of David.

III.

Give unto me thy holy Spirit which thou hast promised to give (to the World's end) un­to all thine elect People, and let the same thine holy Com­forter purge my heart, heal my Corruptions, sanctifie my Na­ture, and consecrate my Soul and Body, that they may be­come lively Temples, to serve [Page 80] thee in Righteousness and Ho­liness all the days of my Life. Give me, I earnestly beseech thee, a supply of all those Graces I stand in need of, with an in­crease of all those good Gifts thou hast endowed me with.

IV.

As thou hast now wakened my Body from Sleep, so, I be­seech thee, rouse my Soul from the sleep of Sin and carnal Secu­rity; give me Grace, as a Child of Light, to walk in all holy Obedience before thee this day; and grant me to endeavour to keep Faith and a good Consci­ence towards Thee, and to­wards all Men.

V.

To this end I recommend my self, with all my ways, thoughts, words, and actions, (together with all that belongs to me) [Page 81] unto thy divine Protection, praying thee to keep both them and me from all Evil, and to give a Blessing to all my under­takings this Day, and for ever­more.

Amen

II.

Fears of Enemies abroad a­fright me, Wrongs of ill Neigh­bours do oppress me, Cares for the things of this Life do con­sume me, and even all the day long something or other doth afflict and torment me. Adver­sity on the one hand frets me, and Prosperity on the other hand flatters me. Over my head Heaven's Vengeance, due to my Sins, is ready to fall hea­vy upon me; and under my feet Hell gapes ready to de­vour me.

III.

Amidst those many toils and perplexities, where to find rest I know not, or to fly for suc­cour, but to thee, O Lord, most holy and mighty; direct me and guide me in these difficul­ties, protect me from these Pe­rils [Page 83] and dangers, settle me in a course of Godliness, and let me walk, soberly and circumspect­ly, as becometh a Good Chri­stian, spending and ending that small remnant of days which thou hast allotted me in this World, in thy Fear and Service.

IV.

Teach me so to number my days, that I may apply my heart unto true Wisdom. Make me wise unto Salvation, simple to that which is Evil, and prone to that which is Good. Fructifie me unto good works, and grant that I may be Charitable, Peace­able and Conscionable towards all men, now and for evermore.

Amen

II.

O God, the Father of Hea­ven, have mercy upon me, and bless me; O God, the Son, Re­deemer of all the World, pre­serve and keep me; O holy and blessed Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, deliver me this Night from all Sin and Evil; O holy blessed and glo­rious Trinity, Three Persons [Page 85] and One God, direct, guide, and sanctifie me.

III.

Be thou my protector and defender amidst all dangers, that when I lay me down to rest, I may fear no Evil: And grant, O Lord, at my last hour thy spiritual illumination; that when my strength faileth, and the light of my Eyes is depar­ted from me, mine Ears wax deaf, and my Mouth dumb, and all my senses have forsaken me; then infuse some sense into me of eternal Life, that I may taste and relish, in this mortal Body, the beginning of thy everlasting Comfort; that at my departure out of this World, I may, by the Eye of Faith, behold the divine Presence.

IV.

Open my Eyes more and [Page 86] more, that I may discern the wonderous works of thy Law; and open thou, O Lord, like­wise my Lips, that my Mouth and Tongue may shew forth thy Praise, and extol thy great and glorious Name. Prepare my Heart, O Lord, I beseech thee, for thy divine Service, this next day following: It is thy holy-day; O fit me for the sanctifying of the same, that I may not spend it on my Lusts and the pleasures of Sin, but dedicate it wholly to thy Ho­nour and Glory.

V.

Let my chief delight be to cease from the works of Sin, as well as from my worldly Em­ployment, that I may, through thy Blessing, feel in my Heart the beginning of that eternal Sabbath, which is Joy unspeak­able [Page 87] and full of Glory. Go­vern, O Lord, my heart in thy Fear, and guide and steer all the whole course of my Life in thy Favour: Fit and prepare me a­gainst the hour of Death, and day of Dissolution, that if thou shouldest this Night make my Bed in the Grave of Silence, I may live and die unto thee, who livest for ever; to whom be ascribed all Power and Glory, Adoration and Subjection, now and for evermore.

Amen

II.

Keep holy my Soul and Bo­dy, and suffer them not to be defiled through delectation of Sin; but that my full delight and joy may be in thee, and [Page 97] walk before thee in sincerity of Heart and godly Conversation, that I may here on Earth glo­rifie thy Name, and after this Life, with all thy falthful flock, possess that everlasting Inheri­tance, which thy Son, Christ Jesus hath purchased with his most precious blood. To whom with thee, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end.

Amen

II.

But I beseech thee, for the sake of thy dearly beloved Son, accept of this my morning Sacri­fice of Praise and Thanksgiving for thy manifold Mercies ex­tended [Page 99] towards me this Night past, and heretofore till this mo­ment: For my Rest, Food, Raiment, Health, Peace, and Liberty, with the hopes of a better Life when this is ended: Continue thy all supplying mer­cies unto me this day. Govern me with thy Fear, and compass me about with thy Favour; set all my Sins to that accompt, which thy Son Jesus Christ, my only Saviour hath made up for them upon the Cross, and ne­ver lay any of them to my charge, but freely forgive and forget them all.

III.

Prosper, O Lord, all that I shall take in hand this Day; let my directions proceed from thy holy Will, and the success from thy merciful Hand: Give me a Competency for maintenance [Page 100] in this mortal Life, that I may with quietness of mind, and thankfulness of heart, pass my time in this vale of misery, in doing good to all men according to my ability, without dispa­ragement to my self or harm to others.

IV.

Grant these things, O Hea­venly Father, and whatever else thou seest most necessary for me, and all other thy Servants in the World, for the good of our Souls and Bodies; guide and conduct me in the doing and performing diligently those things that thou hast required of me; and that the end of all my labours may tend to the Praise of thy holy Name, and the bene­fit of my poor Brethren. Grant this good Lord, I humbly be­seech thee, for Jesus Christ his sake.

Amen

II.

O thou that sittest above the Cherubims, my tongue and lips shall praise and glorifie thee, for preserving me by thy Provi­dence this Day past, from so [Page 102] many Miseries and Casualties, which I might justly have fal­len into, hadst thou entred into Judgment with me. But thou art a God full of Mercy and Compassion, and passest by Of­fences, to win me the more by thy patience and long-suffering: make me truly thankful for thy Mercies, ready and willing to make a good improvement of thy most gracious Forbearance, and careful to obey thy Will with Conscience, Diligence, and Constancy.

III.

Strengthen me from above with thy mighty hand, to walk in every good way without fear­fulness, and to bring forth the Fruits of a true and lively Faith in my Life and Conversation, all the days of my sojourning here. Arm me with thy Grace [Page 103] and holy Spirit, against the Cor­ruptions and Vanities of the World, and Wiles and Tempta­tions of the Devil, and the Al­lurements of the Flesh; and so settle and frame my mind to the continual exercise of devout Prayer, hearing of thy sacred Word, and watching for thy coming, both in publick and private.

IV.

Keep me, O Lord, this night from all Evils which may hap­pen, either to my Body, or my Soul: Extend thy Goodness to­wards all those that have any dependance upon me; give me sweet and comfortable rest, that when I shall awake, all my Thoughts & Meditations may be on thee, and thy Law. Bless me, O Lord, all the nights and days of my Life, and at the end [Page 102] [...] [Page 103] [...] [Page 104] thereof, send me a blessed de­parture, and afterwards a joy­ful Resurrection both of Soul and Body, unto Life eternal; grant these things, O heavenly Father for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake, my only Saviour.

Amen

II.

And as thou hast, O Lord, kept us this Night, in the time of darkness and dangers, so we beseech thee to preserve us this Day, that the Sun of Righte­ousness may rule in our Hearts, and all the darkness that lurketh in them may be scattered, to the comfort of our own Souls in the day of our Lord Jesus. Endue us with those Gifts and Graces thou seest to be most needful for us, and grant that with sin­cere Hearts & pure Consciences, we may wholly employ them in thy service to thy honour and glory.

III.

Continue to us, we earnestly beseech thee, thy blessing of Health, Peace, and Maintenance, so far as thou seest them conve­nient for us; chase away from us all Rancour and Malice, Cove­tousness, Uncharitableness, and Unkindness, and whatsoever is contrary to thy Law; take from us all Ignorance and Neg­ligence, and prevent all those things that thou knowest may hinder us in our Christian Cal­ling or Employment: Encrease our Faith, Patience and Obedi­ence, and let thy Blessing be up­on this whole Family; guide us in thy Truth, protect us in our Ways, and all those whom thou hast made dear unto us, whe­ther they be present or absent.

IV.

Give us Grace, by thy Cha­stisements, [Page 107] to fear thee more carefully, and to grieve for our sins more heartily; let our minds be set upon thee, and give us such hearts as we may learn something of every thing, and make a Spiritual use of all our Earthly Affairs here till we come to dwell with thee in the Kingdom of Glory.

V.

Bless, O Lord, the universal Church, with Truth, Peace and Unity, Soundness of Doctrine, and holy Discipline; Preserve our gracious Sovereign, and all the Royal Family; Bless his Majesty's most honourable Pri­vy Council, and all others in Authority, with necessary Gra­ces.

VI.

Bless all Schools of Learning and good Education, especially [Page 108] the two Universities of this Land: Bless this City and Place wherein we live; remove the Punishment due for the Sins thereof, and give them a double portion of thy Grace, to repent in time, before the Destroyer enters again amongst them.

VII.

Bless all our Friends, Rela­tions, or others, for whom thou hast appointed us to make Pray­ers and Supplications; strength­en them that lie upon their Beds of Sickness, send them the com­fort and help of thy Spirit, that lie in anguish of Conscience for remorse of Sin, and convert all those that go astray from thy Commandments; teach us by their Examples to view our own Weakness, and to walk more circumspectly for the time to come.

VIII.

Bless this Family with Grace and Peace, that all of them, from the highest to the lowest, may know their several Duties, and may rightly and duly pra­ctise the same in thy fear, and unto thy glory, through Jesus Christ, our only Lord and Sa­viour.

Amen

II.

Morning and Evening thou takest care of us, and heapest upon us so many Blessings and Benefits, both Spiritual and Temporal; yet we neither fear thee nor serve thee, as we ought to do; but thou art a God slow to anger, and of great pity, and art ready to forgive our mani­fold Sins, which we from time to time have committed against thee.

III.

Good Lord, we beseech thee keep us evermore from day to day, as thou hast done, and make us constant in the profes­sion of thy holy Name, and the practise of thy Law, that nei­ther the Malice of Man, nor [Page 111] Subtilty of Satan be able to make us turn away from thee, Lord, turn thy Face from our Sins, even from those Sins where­in we have so much delighted; take from us those hearts of Stone, and give us hearts of Flesh, and wash and cleanse our poluted Souls in the Blood of the Lord Jesus.

IV.

Forgive us all that is past, and grant us the assurance of that Forgiveness, sealed up by the holy Spirit in our Consci­ences; Oh kindle thy love more and more in our hearts, that we may never depart from thee, but attain unto a due thankful­ness for thy benefits, and a most unfeigned and earnest Repen­tance for all our Sins and Tranf­gressions.

V.

Suffer us not to close our Eyes till our Souls have reckoned and made even for all the Of­fences which not only this day, but all the former minutes of our lives, we have committed against thy divine Majesty: Give thine Angels charge over us, that at what hour soever thou callest us out of this Vale of Tears, where we do but travail and toil all the day long, we may not be found to be idle Loiterers in thy Harvest, but good and acceptable Servants, having Oil in our Lamps, and on us the Robe of Righteous­ness, and Wedding-Garment of Regeneration, that we may be a­ble to encounter Death, the King of Terrors, to meet our blessed Lord in the Clouds, when he cometh to Judgment, [Page 113] and to follow the Lamb where­soever he goeth.

VI.

Expel and remove far away from us all wicked Spirits, and graciously protect us from our Persecutors, which lay Snares to subdue us; do thou, O God, assist us, that we may peaceably sleep and rest in thee: hide us in thy Tabernacle, from the strife of all Men, and keep us that we may fear no Evil. O thou that neither slumberest nor sleepest, let thy Rod and Staff evermore comfort and defend us.

VII.

Let thy mighty Hand and stretched out Arm, O Lord, be still our Defence; thy Mercy and Loving-kindness in thy beloved Son, our Salvation; thy true and holy Word our Instructi­on, [Page 114] thy Grace and holy Spirit our Comfort and Consolation: Let thy Mercy, O God, prevent and follow us all the days of our Lives, that we may dwell in thy House of Defence, in length of days, praising thee evermore.

VIII.

Let thy Blessing be upon all of us within this Houshold, guide us in our Ways, and lead us into thy Truth: Bless our Parents, Kindred and Friends, wheresoever dispersed, and how­soever linked unto us: Be a merciful Judge unto us, and continually protect us from the snares of Satan the Old Serpent; and finally conduct us into the society of Angels, and of all Saints, in thy holy Paradise; to whom be ascribed, as is most due to thee the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one true, gra­cious [Page 115] and everlasting God, all Honour, Power, and Glory, Might, Majesty, and Dominion, now and for evermore.

Amen

II.

O thou that hast created, and made me of nothing, and hast redeemed me from the slavery of Sin, Death and Hell, by the most precious Blood of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, which was spilt upon the Cross for my Sins, Have mercy upon me: Bow [Page 118] down thine all-hearing Ear un­to my complaint, and cast me not away in thy fierce anger.

III.

My Sins cry aloud to Heaven for Vengeance, and I have de­served thy wrath and heavy dis­pleasure against me: Thou hast cast me down upon the Bed of Sickness, and I begin to fall as leaves beaten with a vehement wind; yet thy Chastisments are less than my deservings; but of thy mercy and goodness, O Lord, correct me not to death, but to amendment of Life, for thine own sake, for thy holy Name's sake, for thy Son Christ Jesus s [...]ke, be merciful unto my Sins, for they are great.

IV.

Spare thy Servant, good Lord, which confesseth his Sins unto thee, pour the Oil of thy san­ctifying [Page 119] Grace into my Heart, and work thereby in me a true and immediate Repentance and restore me again to thy favour, according to thy gracious Pro­mise to humble Penitents; let thy merciful Providence so guide and govern me in this affliction thou hast been pleased to lay upon me, that I may never fall into utter darkness, ignorance of thee, or inconsideration of my self.

V.

Let the faintness of my Spi­rit, and the Condemnation of my self be overcome by thy ir­resistable Light; thou that art the God of all consolation, grant that I may be mindful of the great account I have to make at the day of Judgment, and that I may bear in mind the reward which is due to [Page 120] the faithful, the end of misery, and the beginning of all happi­ness; but to the secure and care­less, the beginning of eternal punishment.

VI.

Strengthen my Faith, accept my penitential Tears, speak peace to my Soul and Consci­ence; and say, Thou art my Salvation, then let thy holy Spi­rit descend into my Heart, with this express, My Grace is suffi­cient for thee; then shall my Heart leap for joy, and my Soul shall be exceeding glad, de­siring to be dissolved, and be at peace, that after this frail mor­tal Life is ended, I may enjoy the eternal fruition of they hea­venly Presence.

VII.

Suffer me not, O Lord, in this my trial, to be possess'd [Page 121] with a fear of Condemnation, or to despond of thy Promises; but in sure considence of heart apply to my self the remission of all my Sins, that at the last hour, by Faith in Jesus Christ, I may enjoy a tast of eternal Salvati­on: Let not Death (if thou art pleased to send it) be terrible or bitter unto me; but when it cometh, I may rejoicingly re­ceive the fame; and having esca­ped the storm of Temptation, and the dangers of Satan, I may triumph like a Conqueror, and behold the Power and Presence of thy holy Spirit.

VIII.

Let my last words be the same which thy Son did utter upon the Cross, saying, Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit; and when my Speech is departed from me, hear the [Page 122] groanings, and sighs of my Heart, and the desire of my Soul, that at the last thy Ser­vant may depart in Peace, and reach those heavenly Mansions prepared for him: My Soul, O Lord, heartily desireth to at­tain to that supernatural City whereof such glorious things are spoken.

IX.

Breathe inward Comforts to my Heart; tho' my Body be going the way of all Flesh, yet let my Soul go the way of all Saints. Lord, hear me and help me, stand by me and save me, and if thou hast determined to lay my Body into the Grave, receive my Soul into thy King­dom, to rest in joy and peace for evermore, through Jesus Christ.

Amen

II.

Guide him, good Lord, in this his last Journey, that he be­ing quit of all the troubles of this transitory Life, he may be safely conducted by thy power to the Heaven of Eternal Hap­piness into the Arms of bound­less Mercy, to everlasting Peace and perpetual Joys, there to reign with all the Company of blessed Saints and Angels with thee in continual Bliss for evermore.

III.

And, gracious God, we be­seech thee, by thy abundant Goodness, by the multitude of thy tender Mercies, and Com­passions, by the Merits of thy bitter Death and bloody Passion, by thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension, and by the Co­ming of thy holy & blessed Spi­rit, have mercy upon him, de­liver [Page 125] him from the burthen and guilt of his Sins, from the fears and terrors of Death, and from the fury and power of Hell.

IV.

Lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon him, that in all the pains of his Body, in all the agonies of his Spirit, let thy Comforts refresh his Soul, and enable him patiently to wait till his Change shall come: And grant, O Lord, that when this earthly House and Tabernacle of his Body shall be dissolv'd, he may have a Building of God, an House not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens; and that for his sake, who by his most precious Blood hath purchased Salvation for all those who truly believe in him, even Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour.

Amen

II.

It is thou alone that hast pre­served my life from destruction; thou didst cast me down upon my Bed of Sickness, and hast raised me up again by thy Al­mighty Power; thou hast cha­stened and corrected me, but not given me over unto Death. My time is in thy hand, O God, thou art the God of the Spirits of all Flesh; grant that this remnant of Life, that thou hast thus graciously spared, may be wholly dedicated to thy Ser­vice, that I may walk before thee in newness and amend­ment of Life.

III.

O thou that art the only Physi­cian of Soul and Body, thou hast once more permitted me to take [Page 130] up my Bed and walk; O make me strictly careful, as the wat­ches of the Night, to be vigilant over all my Thoughts, Words, and Actions, that I may sin no more, lest a worse thing happen unto me. Let not this great mercy thou hast now given me, make me supine and negligent, and entertain those Thoughts that my Lord delayeth his co­ming; but grant, I beseech thee, that I may make a right use of this thy Fatherly Chastisement, and employ the remainder of my Life to thy Glory.

IV.

I have found by experience of thine afflicting hand, what a dreadful thing it is to be snatch­ed away by the hands of Death, without our accompts, and un­prepared; O let it be a perpetu­al admonition to me, to stand [Page 131] upon my Guard, and to watch for my Master's coming; and whenever the Pleasures of Sin, which endure but for a Season, shall present themselves to en­tice and allure me, make me to remember the bitterness of them at last. Lord, hear me, and grant me grace to work out my own Salvation, for thy dear Son's sake.

Amen

II.

But, I know (blessed Jesus) thy Grace is sufficient for me; thy Mercy can express it self in my Misery. I know and con­fess (O Lord) that my Sins are exceeding many, mighty, and heinous, yet thy Mercy is far greater; for thou art infinite in mercy, but I cannot be infinite in sinning; and the Righteous­ness of Christ Jesus the Righte­ous is more prevalent for me than my own Unrighteousness can be against my self.

III.

The Fountain of thy Mercy (O God) hath quenched the fire of thy Justice, and graceless Man falling from Goodness, is by thee repossessed of Great­ness. [Page 133] Wherefore I humbly be­seech thee, O Lord, give me the Grace of continual Thank­fulness, strengthen my Weak­ness, correct my Sinfulness, di­rect my future Frailty, and pro­tect me against the Adversary, kindle my Zeal, enlighten my Understanding, soften my sto­ny Heart, and save for ever my immortal Soul.

IV.

And though my whole Life, O Lord, hath been impure and undefiled in thy sight, yet through thy precious Blood and Passion, by thine all-sufficient Sacrifice, Obligation, and Satis­faction, revert my deserved Pu­nishment, and convert my pas­sed Evils, to present good and future joys, in thine eternal and most glorious Kingdom.

V.

Pardon, good Lord, my loss of Time, my abuse of thy good Creatures, my negligence in my lawful Employment, my un­thankfulness for thy Loving­kindness; and whatsoever is wanting in my Person, Practice, Prayer, or Thanksgiving, make a supply of it in the Merits of thy Son Christ Jesus; to whom with thee, and thy blessed Spirit, be all Praise and Glory, now and evermore.

Amen

II.

Bless, O Lord, thy holy Ca­tholick and Apostolick Church with all Blessings of Comfort, Assistance, and Preservation; ex­tirpate Heresies, unite her Di­visions, give her Patience and Perseverance in the Faith, and Confession of thy Name in de­spite of all Enmities, Tempta­tions and Disadvantages; de­stroy [Page 136] all wicked Counsels inten­ded or levied against her or any of her Children, by the Devil or any of his accursed Instruments; let the hands of thy Grace and Mercy lead her from this Vale of Misery to the triumphant Throne of her Lord and Savi­our Jesus Christ.

Amen

II.

O but let thy Majesty (O Lord) yet appear in thy Mercy; forgive my Sin, the unhappy ground of all this woe: Where my misery hath thus abounded, there let thy Mercy much more abound. I dare not add this [Page 151] grievous Sin unto my other Sins to despair of thy Mercy: What were more Sacrilegious? for thou art a skilful Physician and canst cure all my Infirmities; thou art a merciful God, and canst forgive all my Sins: To thee do I fly for refuge which art the Land of Safety, to thee do I lift up my Hands and my Heart, and to thee do I pray, desiring thy Mercy. Let the power of thy Son's Death and Passion defeat all the Devices of the Devil against me.

III.

Instruct me in thy heavenly Wisdom, lead me in thy Truth in this dangerous Sea of Discon­tentment and Affliction: keep me from shipwrack, and bring me safe to the Land of Peace-Strengthen my Faith, sanctifie all those good means unto me [Page 152] wherein I seek relief, as Prayer, Conference, Reading, and hear­ing thy holy Word. Mitigate my Perplexities, grant me Pa­tience, heal my Imperfections: Thou that wilt not break a bruised Reed, spare and have Mercy upon me: Thou that de­lightest not in the death of a Sin­ner, receive me. Though my Heart condemns me, yet do thou release me. O Lord hear, O Lord forgive, O Lord defer not, but even now speak peace unto me: say unto my Soul, I am thy Salvation; to whom be ascribed all Honour and Glory World without end.

Amen

II.

O how greatly are we wretches bound to fear thee, to love thee, to bless and praise thee, to ho­nour thee, and to glorifie thee, seeing we are redeemed at such a price, saved with such a gift, cherished with so many promi­ses and blessings of the same, e­ven thy Son our Lord Jesus [Page 154] Christ! Stablish, O God, that which thou hast wrought in us; finish what thou hast begun, that we may be able to come in­to the fulness of thy Mercy; make us through thy holy Spi­rit to understand, and through thy Son to discern, and with due honour and reverence, this high Mystery of Godliness, which is, how God was manifest in the Flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gen­tiles, believed on in the World, and received up into Glory; where we doubt not but we shall Reign with him for ever­more.

Amen

II.

Assure me, I beseech thee, of the forgiveness of all my Sins, mitigate my Fear, and asswage my Sorrows, strengthen me with the refreshing of thy Spi­rit, confirm me in the Faith of my Saviour, and bless all good means appointed for my Com­fort, that in due time I may be a joyful Mother, and see the Fruit of my Body, safe, sound▪ [Page 156] and perfect, without blemish or deformity.

III.

O Lord, I know not how soon my Travail will overtake me, when I must encounter with Life or Death▪ one drop of thy Mercy hath sovereign power to cure all the Wounds of those Sorrows: Shed therefore (O holy Father) that drop of Grace upon me in that minute, when I am to encounter with so stern an Adversary: Strengthen me with Patience, preserve me that I perish not, and bless the work of my Midwife.

IV.

Let not the Child yet unborn, the Babe in my Womb, be pu­nished for mine Offences, but give it growth, form, and what thou seest in thy good pleasure to be fit and necessary for it; [Page 157] and when the time is come that thou wilt call it out of this close house of flesh, where it now inhabiteth, to dwell in the open World, sanctifie thy Creature; make it by Baptism a Member of thy Church, a Lamb of thy Flock, and direct it in the ways of thy Commandments to its Life's End.

Amen

II.

Have Mercy upon me and bless me, guide me and govern me in all my Actions, prosper all my Undertakings, grant that I may be as careful of the Poor as of the Rich, that I may do good and not hurt, save Life and not destroy it by my negligence; help my Infirmities and Imper­fections, that I may neither be too timorious nor too rash in the performance of my Duty, but grant me art and judgment in the happy finishing all my O­perations.

III.

Work in me an understand­ing and a tender Heart, and whatsoever else is necessary in [Page 159] my undertakings; and merci­fully grant, O Lord, that when­soever my Duty calls me either by Night, or Day, I may be al­ways prepared; preserve and defend me from the infection of all contagious Diseases; by thy most gracious Favour grant me a prosperous success, that whatsoever I do may tend to thy Glory, the comfort and help of all good Women (committed to my charge) and my own cre­dit, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

IV.

We pray unto thee for this Child in her Womb; thou hast inrolled it in thy Book, thou hast made it in thy Frame, the Bones thereof are not hid from thee, all the Members of it are written in thy Volume. Thou didst vi­sit [Page 161] it at the time of Life, visit it now at the hour of Birth, that thou maist receive glory by thy works and the Mother glad­ness in beholding her Infant, after all her Sorrows. Give her, we beseech thee, neither a monstrous, a maimed, nor a dead Birth; but as thou hast blessed the Conception of this Infant, so bring it with Perfe­ction into the World. Hear us, O Lord, and help this thy weak Servant, visit her as thou didst Sarah, comfort her as thou didst Rebecca, and chear her as thou didst Leah; forgive her all her sins, and whether she be sure to live or die, let her trust in thee, and let thine Angels pitch their Tents about her, now and for evermore.

Amen

II.

Continue thy loving kindness to this thy Servant, keep her [Page 163] from all further peril and dan­ger of Child-Bed; give her strength to recover her weak­ness, joy to forget her late sor­row, and thankfulness that such a Child is come out of her Loins, as one day shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Give thy Blessing to the Infant now born that it may in due time increase in Wisdom, Stature, and Favour with God and Man. Baptize i [...] with Water and the Holy Ghost, endue it with all heavenly Gra­ces, defend it against all Dan­gers, provide for it in this mor­tal Life, and crown it in the end with Life everlasting.

III.

Bless us, O Lord, that are here met together to behold the glo­ry of our Creation, and the won­ders of our Creator in this little Infant: Let us in all Sobriety, [Page 164] Chastity, and Godliness, walk before thee all the Days of our Lives. Make us like fruitful Vines, and our Children like Olive Branches round about our Tables: Let our Husbands re­joice in us, and make us careful to love them, as thou hast com­manded us, that thy Kingdom may be increased, the Bed un­defiled, and our Saviour Jesus Christ glorified, to whom be praise for evermore.

Amen

II.

Look upon this my Infant which thou hast given me; pre­serve it in Health, quicken it with Grace, crown it with long Life, that it may grow up to be a Servant in thine houshold. Send the Father of it and me much Comfort by it, that it may be a Staff to our Old Age: Bless it with store of Friends in this World, and be thou a chief Friend to it for evermore.

III.

And for the better growth in Grace, feed it with the Milk of thy holy Word, defend it from [Page 166] all dangers ghostly and bodily: Guard me, and regard this my Birth, that Satan rule not nor reign within us, but deliver us still out of his Jaws as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler; let thy blessing, O Lord, be upon me and my Children, and ever­more keep and defend us.

Amen

II.

I have lately tasted of thy [Page 168] goodness, O Lord, I have now been sensible of thy Mercy in a great Measure by this great deli­verance. I have had experience many times of thy loving-kind­ness, but never more than in thy late Favours. I chattered like a Swallow, I mourned like a Dove, I panted like a Hart, but thou hast put life again into my Soul; thou hast not dealt with me ac­cording to my Sins, nor reward­ed me according to mine Iniqui­ties: As high as the Heaven is above the Earth, so great is thy Mercy towards them that fear thee; since thy Mercy, O Lord, hath been so great towards me; grant that I may love thee more zealously, fear thee more reve­rently, and obey thee more care­fully all the days of my Life. For as Elkanah was to Hannah instead of many Sons, so be thou [Page 169] still to me [...] God, instead of many Comforters. G [...]ve me therefore patience in trouble, a constancy in hope, rooted and grounded in love; and so bring me, O Lord, from this valley of tears to life everlasting.

Amen

II.

I dare not, O Lord, without injury to my Soul, and indigni­ty to thine Omnipotency, despair of thy sufficiency and power for the restoring me to health, or not use that help, and expect a blessing upon those means which are requisite I should choose and use for the repairing of my Bo­dy, and the restitution of my Strength. I dare not send unto Sorcerers, Wizards, Charmers, or Inchanters for help; nor with Ahaziah go to Baalzebub, the God of Ekron, for relief, and leave thee the God of Israel: [Page 171] But I renounce and reject all other help but from thee alone; and upon the bended knees of an humble heart I come unto thee, beseeching thee to sancti­fie what I am now to receive or apply to my ease and good, and to give such a blessing thereunto, that it may remove such pain & sickness as doth afflict my Body.

III.

O Lord, grant me in all my Sickness, patience, and not to murmur or repine at thy affli­cting hand: and in health give me a provident care to prevent all such maladies, as by reason of my manifold Sins thou maist justly inflict upon me. And as David's Troubles made him pray, Hezekiah's Sickness to la­ment, the Prodigal return home, and Israel under Aegypt's bur­thens cry unto thee, so I beseech [Page 172] thee, that every Chastisement of thine may compel me the rather to sue unto thee for thy saving Health, Pity, Compassion and Grace: And as Christ told his Disciples, that Lazarus's sickness was not unto Death, but for the glory of God, so I beseech thee that none of my afflictions may be unto the death of my Soul, but rather for the good both of Body and Soul. And as Noah's Ark, the higher it was tossed with the Flood, the nearer it mounted towards Heaven, so my Soul being sanctified by Grace, the more it is exercised with the water of affliction, the nearer let it be lifted up towards thee, O God; grant this, O holy Father, for thy dear Son's sake, to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, both now and evermore.

Amen

II.

Send me, I beseech thee, good success in all my undertakings; and grant that I may undertake nothing but what shall be plea­sing in thy sight. If I meet with Company, grant they may be such as I may receive good by, rather than harm; if I am alone, let thy Law be my delight; grant that I may then meditate such things as shall be for the benefit and salvation of my Soul; and grant that after my business is fully accomplished, when I return home, I may find my Friends, Wife, Children and Fa­mily in perfect Health; and though my whole Life be but a continual Travel here, yet send me everlasting peace, with thee and thy Son Jesus Christ.

Amen

II.

Give me an humble and thank­ful heart; let me not bury this [Page 176] and other thy Favours in forget­fulness; but let my Soul still praise thee; and thy good Spirit lead me into the Land of Righ­teousness. As thou hast brought me, O Lord, through this Jour­ney and Voyage, and kept this Tabernacle of my Body unsplit: So in thy good time bring my Soul home to the Land of Pro­mise, the Everlasting Haven of eternal Rest, and that for thy Son's sake, Jesus Christ.

Amen

II.

Send us the Prayers of those that are upon Land, and bless all our Friends that are now parted from us. Save our Souls [Page 178] from the great Leviathan whose Jaws are ready to devour us. Make good our Provision for Bodily Su­stenance, as well as Furniture for our Ships. Let thy Peace be amongst us; save us, succour, and defend us, O Lord, thou Anchor of our Hope, for thy Glory, and for thy Name's sake, to whom be Praise and Glory, World without end.

Amen

II.

Give me Wisdom, Sobriety, and Temperance when I now come a­mongst my old Lovers & Friends; Cause me to make a right use of those things which I have obser­ved and beheld in Foreign Parts; free my Soul and Conscience from any stain of Corruption and Infecti­on which may hurt or destroy me; keep me in all my ways; send me Health, and all things necessary for this Life, that having passed the Waves of this troublesome World I may at last safely arrive at the [Page 178] [...] [Page 179] [...] [Page 180] harbour of everlasting rest, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

II.

We do confess and acknowledge, O Lord, that our Sins call for no­thing but death and destruction; and considering our deservings, we cannot expect any blessing at thy hands. Pardon, we beseech thee, what is past; give us Obedience and Grace to do thy Will for the time to come, and to satisfie the lawful desires of us thy Servants, that we may not be wanting of our Food and daily Bread, but may be p [...]rtakers of thy heavenly Blessings, and wait upon thee for our Meat in due season. Oppress us not with too much Poverty, O Lord, neither puff us up with too much Plenty, but give us a competent store of things necessary for this life, and grace to use them soberly to thy glory and our comfort, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

II.

Preserve our Bodies, Houses, and Goods; keep us from Deluge and Inundation, and shew us some speedy token of Peace: Send us a Remedy in this our pres [...]nt misery; turn our Dearth into Cheapness, [Page 183] and our Scarcity into Plenty. Give a blessing to that which we shall reap; bless our store; furnish us wherewithal to relieve others; let not thy hand be shortned at this time, but rebuke the Wind and Storm, that we may have a plea­sant Calm.

III.

At thy Word, O Lord, the Mountains smoak, the Heavens tremble, and the Earth quakes; at thine Anger the Sea roareth, and makes a noise, and the fearful Depths are broken down and trou­bled; thou commandest the Clouds and they obey: O shut them up for a time, and let thy punishing Angel be no more seen. Hear us, O Lord, in these our Prayers, that with joyful and thankful Hearts, we may sing Praises unto thee, who rulest all things, world with­out end.

Amen

II.

Let me remember thee, my Cre­ator, in the days of my youth, while the evil days come not. Teach me, O Lord, how to lead my life ac­cording to the Rule of Godliness. Make me obedient to my Parents, dutiful to my Teachers, proud to­wards no man, but rightly affecti­oned towards all People. Add un­to me length of Days, supply me [Page 185] with vertues, guide my feet in thy ways, direct my mind, sanctifie my stu [...]ies, govern all my actions, pre­serve my Body in health, my Soul from uncleanness; take from me all dulness and incapacity, that may hinder my growth in knowledge, and bring me to life everlasting, through Jesus Christ, my only Lord and Saviour.

Amen

II.

Be present and president amongst us in all our Consultations; send us wise Counsellors and Commanders, who may prudently foresee, and valiantly defeat the devices and stratagems of their Enemies. Bless those that are prepared to fight for us; command the Winds and the Seas to favour them, and let the Land speak peace unto them. Let neither the Sun nor Moon an­noy them, nor alteration of diet or place disable them; anoint their Shields, hallow and consecrate all their Engines of War, with happy success to do thy will.

III.

Refresh both Prince and People with the sweet savour and harmo­ny of Peace, rather than the bitter howlings & clamours of War, that we may every one in our due or­der [Page 187] sit under our own Vine, and under our own Fig-tree, that there may be no [...]eading into Captivity, nor no complaining in our Streets; grant, O Lord, these things we have begged, for thy Son, our Sa­viour's sake.

Amen

II.

Thou, O God, wast pleased to do mighty and marvellous things for us, whereof we rejoice, thine Angel encamped round about us whilst we were in great fear, and hath delivered us. O Lord, more [Page 186] [...] [Page 187] [...] [Page 188] and more encrease our Thankful­ness; maintain still thine own cause, keep us from all Plots & Con­trivances of the wicked: And as thou hast at this time by a hand unexpected, put Sisera to flight, and brought our Foes to an end, so destroy their Armies evermore, and disperse their Forces, that we may know thou art the Lord, whose Name is Jehovah; to whom be Praise, now and for evermore, World without end.

Amen