• 1 THe considerati­on and acknow­ledgement of my sinnes, generall, and: particular; by prayer, and by repentance.
• 2 The Examination of my life, how it hath beene lead, either in goodnesse, or in [Page 113]loosenesse of liuing.
• 3 Whether I haue a­mended or conti­nued in any known grosse sinnes.
• 4 What they are, how they haue their be­ginning & growth
• 5 What resistance I haue made, and what successe that hath had.
• 6 Whether I haue re­pelled those sinnes, and whether they haue againe retur­ned.
• 7 What hopes or means I haue to banish those, or the like [Page 114]sinnes?
• 8 Whether my prayers befainter or strōg­er; more frequent or seldomer then they haue beene?
• 9 Whether my distra­ctions, doubts, and dulnesse, in the time of prayer re­maines, or be re­mooued.
• 10 Whether those Passi­ons which were more preualent in me are yet pacified
• 11 Whether I cannot yet heartily for­giue, and pray for those that haue in­iured [Page 115]mee.
• 12 Whether my want of Loue and Charitie to my Neighbours be yet amended?
• 13 Whether I haue ioy­ned Faith with Examination, and that with Repen­tance.

There is no day wherein I liue, but I should call my selfe to accompt, and be­stow some time in ex­amination of my self, to see and search, which of these, or the like sinnes I haue [Page 116]committed, which of them I haue corre­cted: what yet re­maines to bee done, that I may no more doe them: And if I can fall to these re­membrances by ex­act repetition, I shall sooner come to re­pentance: If I can­not altogeter remem­ber them, yet I must first reade them in these, or the like lines, then answere to euery Article, as if I were examined be­fore the strickest Iudge for any capitall of­fence, [Page 117]or else I may be assured I shall come at last before a seuere and all-seeing Iudge, who knowes and will iudge all: when I haue done this, I must goe to prayer for the remoouing of these euills; the continu­ance in doing better: Or if I finde I cannot doe it, I must still pray that I may bee able to doe it.

These Meditations and the Prayers fol­lowing them, being the best Medicines to cure all the maladies [Page 118]of my minde and soule: for which end, and to attaine to that holy and happy ende, It is necessarie that I should frame vnto my selfe, if not vnto o­thers, some short sup­plications, as th [...]se following or the like.

O Lord GOD, my sinnes are great & grie­uous, many and infi­nit in number: they are so many that I cannot reckon or remember them. Those that I doe remember, which are the fewest in com­parison of the rest; I [Page 120]haue not confessed or acknowledged as I should doe.

I haue not exami­ned my sinnefull life that I haue ledde, nor sought amendment of the same, I haue not looked into the be­ginning or grouth of my sinnes, nor how I haue resisted the same, or if at any time I haue done it, yet I haue fallen more backewards then I went forwards. My hope of resistance is nothing but in thy power and mercy, O [Page 121]therefore most mer­cifull God, Graunt me power not onely to proceede in exami­nation, but in amend­ment. For my pray­ers good God which should be the pathway to thy praise, and the steppes to my saluati­on; they are feeble and slow. O make them stronger and more frequent. Take from me in my pray­ers distractions, doubt­ing, and dullnesse. Remooue my most violent passions, the perturbers of minde [Page 122]and soule. Grant me grace to forgiue them that wrong mee, and that I may pray for them that persecute mee, as thy sonne my Sauiour did and hath taught mee to doe And as thy seruan [...] Stephen hath shewed me an example: Take from me hatred, and increase in mee lou [...] and charity: Graun [...] mee grace to ioyn [...] faith with examinati­on, and examination with repentance: And that I may be the bet­ter able to do this and [Page 123]all other good duties, Giue me power to pray vnto thee and to prayse thee: So be it Good Lord Amen.

FOr the excesse: The Romanists tye themselues too much vnto Cano­nicall howers as they [Page 125]call them, in the pub­like or priuate seruice of God. As to say or sing Masse at such houres: as in the fore­noone, at the howres of nine and eleauen to haue Angular Masses whereof many in one Church, and in diuers Corners of the same Church at the same time: To tye them in their priuate Deuoti­ons, to reade or rather to runne ouer the Ie­sus Psalter, and other manuall bookes here­tofore altogether in the Lati [...]e tongue, [Page 126]which most of them vnderstood not at all: So might they speake as Birdes are taught to speake, by the pro­nunciation, scarce of syllables aright; some­time saying one word or at the least soun­ding one for ano­ther without any sence or signification, to themselues, what they speake: But of latter times heere in England (though not so in other Countries, where the Roman Catholique Religion (as themselues call it) [Page 127]onely hath vse and force heere more then elsewhere,) They are lately tolerated by the authority of the Church of Rome to haue some few prayer bookes both in Latine and english, but which of both they do most vse, themselues do best know. And either they are so full farced and stuffed with hymnes, short versicles; some without conclusion of sence, and in most, the sentences so shortly and suddainely set to­gether, the one leap­ing [Page 128]so close vpon the backe of the other, that hardly can they remember, or scarce perceiue what they say. Onely they are made to beleeue, that these ready, but raw repetitions may serue for Gods seruice, whereas the vnder­standing should be as­well supplyed as the affection, in perfor­mance of true Reli­gion.

Heerein is their ex­cesse ioyned with de­fect: Excesse of mea­sure in heaping many [Page 129]words not well wey­ed: Defect in the con­ception and know­ledge of what they doe deliuer:

Besides there is an exceeding great Error allowed and taught in putting them not one­ly to pronounce those prayers so peeced, which must needes be ouer perfunctorily thus speeded: but some (nay many) I may say most of their prayers are directed to the Saints as intercessors, whereof some were such as in their liue [...] [Page 130]were scarce holy but so esteemed, and yet were in a maner deifi­ed, onely because they adhered to the Pope of: Rome Namely (amongst others) Tho­mas Becket sometime Arch-Bishop of Can­terbury, rebellious to his Soueraigne, and so though euill slayne therefore Canonized: Prayers allowed by publique authority printed and practised euen in our times. As desiring God by the blood of this Becket to make the poore sedu­ced [Page 131]suppliant to as­cend where Christ as­cended. They making in those common prayer bookes more prayers to the blessed Virgin Mary then to our Sauiour himselfe. They calling on her to beseech God the Father: and to com­maund God her sonne by the right of a Mo­ther: Which with many other most gross superstitions, aswell in their publicke, as in their priuate Deuoti­ons, themselues cannot deny; or if they should, [Page 132]yet their bookes are extant and their pra­ctises perspicuous, Their creeping and their bending and bowing of their Bo­dies before the Ima­ges of some but sup­posed Saints. The a­doring of the Image of the Crosse and cru­cifixe, with other, but said to be but hallow­ed reliques: what di­shonor it hath broght to the Christian Reli­gion, and what danger to themselues, although they will not acknow­ledge, and their lear­nedest [Page 133]Teachers will seeme to defend or to excuse: yet Intelligent and pious men who are not seduced by Ie­suits and Romish Priests, or so vnhap­py as to be bred vp in their Schooles of su­perstition, may per­ceiue though they wil not confesse; That de­uotion without true vnderstanding, turnes soone vnto superstiti­on: That feruor with­out Faith, and beliefe without knowledge, makes many men erre grossely, and offend [Page 134]most where they think they doe best: Their bookes of Meditation are in many parts good to stirre Deuoti­on, but in some places patched with supersti­tion. If this Cockle might be separated from their Corne it would proouemore profitable.

For the Protestants profession & practise of Religion, wherof I professe to be one. If most Protestāts would be as feruent, & as fre­quent in their Praiers, as many of thē are in­telligent in that they [Page 135]pray, they should more shun sinne, and shame the Romanists; who yet seeme to shun them by being more deuoute in that which they doe lesse vnderstand, and are far more frequent in Prai­er. And if there were more zeale joyned with Conscience, it would much adorne the profession, & make it most excellent as it is in deede, so would it be in estimation and effect. But no pro­fession can make men perfect: The most [Page 136]perfection wee haue consists or is consum­mated in practise and action. Peace and pro­speritie which should helpe, doth yet hin­der Devotion. It be­gets Pride, and that ingenders presumpti­on: Affliction giues instruction, gaines hu­mility, guides the Conscience, and re­formes euill liuing: Witnesse, nay, many witnesses heereof, were the persecuti­ons of the Primitiue Church, when vnder the Tyrannies and [Page 137]bloudy Massacres of the Christians, by the Heathen Emperours, Princes, and Magi­strates: the Christi­ans liues were shining lights of sanctitie: their patient and con­stant sufferings, causes of cōuersion to many men, who before knew not God, nor what Godlinesse meant: Their sinceritie and singlenesse of heart set vp Trophees for themselues, and made them Conquerors o­uer their cruellest and causelesse Enemies. [Page 138]And I would I could not say in mine owne particular, for my poore sinnefull selfe, that when I enioyed the World as I did most wish, I was euer then worst. I would I could as well say, that since Aduersitie came, I became better: yet if any thing worke in mee, or in others, amendement, it must be Affliction, and some Aduersitie. A­ffliction in minde for sinne: and a touch of Aduersitie for the same. O therefore [Page 139]that so I may doe as now I say, and that others may doe as I wish. My Prayers (I hope by the heauen­ly assistancce) shall be, That yet in these times of Peace and Prosperity, whilest our Protestant Reli­gion (the best, because the truest) is enioyed and established, might by Gods permission, and all helping power in these serene and and Sunshining dayes before there come more darkenesse and danger, cast off care­lessenes [Page 140]of planting Truth, supplanting Errors; practising of Piety, preseruing the publique peace and safetie; reforming of things amisse in the Church & Com­mon-weale, which cannot be done with­our more diligence and vigilancie, cou­rage, prouidence, and care; especially by set­ting the chief watch­men in the Church and State more close­ly to their Stations, the one by Doctrine, Discipline, and Dili­gence: [Page 141]the other by Counsell and Circū ­spection to prevent perills, and to pro­cure the peace of this our Sion. And that this may bee perfor­med, I conclude with the ensuing Prayer, that being the subiect of this small pre­ceding Trea­tise.

MOst mighty, gracious, and merciful God who hast made, dost gouerne and preserue the Heauens, the Earth, and all the Creatures therein cō ­tained: Be mercifull [Page 143]vnto vs most misera­ble and sinnefull crea­tures, who were or­dained for thy ser­uice, and yet doe no­thing more, or so much, as commit sins against thy sup [...]came Majestie: Wee haue from the highest to the lowest, beene pol­luted with originall sinnes. Our great, our grieuous, and our out­crying sinnes call vn­to thee for our de­struction and damna­nation. But because thy Mercy is aboue all thy other workes, [Page 144]which yet exceede in greatnesse. Wee pro­strate our selues be­fore thy Throne of grace; beseeching thee for thy Sonnes sake, and for thine owne goodnesse sake to saue vs poore sinners, who desire to doe thee ser­uice, though hitherto wee haue gone astray: and walked in the waies of wickednesse: Thou hast planted thy glorious Gospell of truth heere amongst vs, we haue professed, but wee haue not pra­ctised it as we should, [Page 145]yet because it is the planting of thine own right hand: suffer not our sinnes to pluck vp the same: but rather supplant our sinnes and thereby streng­then our states and soules: To this end (good and gracious God) looke vpon thy seruant our Soueraign whom thou hast set ouer vs: inlighten his royall heart with thy sauing Graces of knowledg, piety, coū ­sell, care, prouidence, for preseruation and aduancement of thy [Page 146]truth, and of the peo­ple that thou hast com­mitted to his charge. Giue him Zeale, forti­tude, power, peace and protection against all that are Enemies to true Religion, and to those Realmes thou hast appointed him to rule: Giue him a dis­cerning heart to dis­couer and shun all dan­gers, and all that bee dangerous to him and to his Dominions, v­nite his heart in loue to his people, and them in loyalty to him. O LORD, [Page 147]preserue thy people vnder him in peace: Protect them from forrayne power, and both him and them from home-bred con­spiracies, and all other mischieuous machi­nations: Make the Prince, his Magistrates and People zealous of thy seruice and glory, constant and carefull in keeping thy Com­mandements: coura­gious for defence of thy Trueth, and their Countrey: Conscio­nable and Charitable. That so they may bee [Page 148]still thy faithfull ser­uants and thou their mercifull God: So shall thy glorious Gospell and the light of thy Trueth euer re­maine amongst vs vn­till the comming of thy Sonne Christ Ie­sus: that thou mayest raigne ouer vs: and we remaine with thee in eternall Blisse. Amen. Amen. Good Lord.

MOst gracious and merciful Father, who vsest to chasten thy Children, and to cor­rect whom thou lo­uest, Haue mercy on those that suffer for mainetenance of thy trueth: Their sinnes [Page 150]haue deserued thy pu­nishments, and yet we that haue sinned as much, if not more, haue not suffered so much for our sinnes: Thou hast sent thy scourge to let them see their sinnes. Thou hast not gone out with their hostes, but hast scattered them. O Lord yet heale and binde vp their bones which thou hast bro­ken: gather them to­gether, and now thou hast taught the Prin­ces, that their power is in vaine without thy [Page 151]protection, and the people that there is no confidence in the arme of flesh, giue thē yet confidence in thy fauour, patience in ad­uersity, courage to fight for thy Trueth, comfort amidst their calamities: O Lord thou doest permit thy people Israel many times after thy long sufferings, and their great sinnes to bee o­uercome by the Iebu­sites, Amalachites and Philistims, The Arke was taken, and they cried out, the glory of [Page 152]Israel was departed, yet thou didst send helpe, when there was no helpe nor hope in Man: O Lord thou hast executed Iustice and Iudgement, yet leaue not thine to their oppressors, and when thou hast dealt with them according to thy mercy, teach them thy Statutes; that they may know thy Testimonies. It is time (O Lord) for thee to worke, for the persecutors of the Trueth haue destroy­ed thy Law: The [Page 153]Kings of the earth band themselues, and the Princes are assem­bled together against the Lord and his an­nointed. O yet thou Lord of Hostes breake their bandes in sun­der, and cast away their cordes: And though the waters rage and be troubled, yet let thy seruants finde and say; the Lord of hostes is with them, and the God of Iacob is their refuge. And that when thy seruants, our persecu­ted brethren, haue re­ceiued [Page 154]comfort and deliuerance; they may reioyce in thy mer­cies, sing praises vn­to thee, and call vnto their neighbors, to be­hold the wonderfull workes thou hast done for them, to make it knowen vnto the world. It is thou that makest wars to cease: It is thou that hast broken the bowe, cut­test the speare, and burnest the Chatiot in sunder: So we pray for them and for one another: Beseeching thee to graunt vs these [Page 155]requests. For thy Sonnes sake our Sauiour Iesus Christ. A­men.

O Lord God of infinite pow­er and proui­dence, who after thy euer to bee admired and praised worke of creating this World, didst ordaine one day of seauen to bee kept as a Sabboth; not on­ly to be free from la­bour [Page 157]and trauell, but to be wholly dedica­ted and kept holy, for thy seruice in Prayers and praises, to be offe­red vnto thy Maiestie, as an incense and ob­lation of thankefull acknowledgement of thy most great might and mercies; in crea­ting this world and ordayning man to gouerne all creatures therein conteyned: in conseruing all these thy Creatures for his vse, and him for thy seruice, in giuing him light of Knowledge [Page 158]and vnderstanding, of thy Word and Com­mandement: and of the things hee should doe, or leaue vndone. As we receiue these thy blessings and be­nefits, so specially on this day, which thou hast selected for thy seruice. O Lord set­tle vs vnto it, fit vs for it, and grant grace not only vnto vs heere present, but to the publicke state, and to particular persons in other places: not only to rest from la­bours on this day, but [Page 159]to shun sinne, to com­municate with thy ser­uants in thy seruice, to read thy Word, to heare it, where it is preached; to come vnto thy Congregati­ons, and where thy word is not preached, to vse all the good meanes wee may for maintenance and in­crease of knowledge and of conscience; by praying, reading, me­ditating and confe­rence. To this end (good Lord) teach vs to cast away, as all ser­uile workes, so sloth, [Page 160]euill and idle compa­ny-keeping, prophane speeches, with other euill actions and thoughts; that may either draw vs from our Christian dueties, offend thy diuine Ma­iestie, or giue euill ex­ample vnto others: Make our hearts and Consciences cleane, our cōferences, words and workes holy, and conuersation vpright and pure. So begin­ning and continuing in thy seruice this day in such sort as thou requirest, wee may [Page 161]not onely sanctifie this, but all the rest of thy Sabbaths, du­ring the remayne of our dayes heere vp­on earth: vntill wee come to that Sabbath of Sabbaths, that e­ternall rest: reioy­cing and praysing of thy Holy and Blessed Name in the highest Heauens: wherein grant vs the assistance of thy holy Spirit, and the aide of thy Sonne our Sauiour Christ Iesus. Amen.

O LORD our God: great are our sins, and heauie are our vi­sitations: yet our cha­stisments are nothing answerable to our corruption, wee haue sinned much and thou hast suffered vs long, yet though our sinnes [Page 161]be as redde as scarlet, thou hast said and we beleeue that thou wilt make them as white as snow. Our sinnes do fester through our owne Corruptions, cleanse them, (O thou the soueraigne & sole phisitian of our soules: Since thou art pleased to purge vs with some bitter pills that vrge vs to sweat and groane yet more for world­ly matters then for the offence of thy di­uine Maiestie. Make vs therefore first sensi­ble of our sinnes and [Page 164]sorowfull for them: And when thou hast purged vs, take away thy punishments: Cure first our soules, then make our bodies and estates sound and safe: Yet againe and againe bring vs backe to con­sider and see from whence all our cala­mities doe come, De­liuer vs (if it bee thy blessed will from pre­sent and ensuing dan­gers, or else graunt vs patience to vndergoe whatsoeuer thy good pleasure shalbe to lay vpon vs: Renew vs [Page 165]and then restore vs to thy wonted fauour, not for our merits but for the merites and mercies of thy beloued Sonne, and our blessed Saui­our, Amen.

OOr sinnes (O Lord) haue drawne vpon vs thy heauy displea­sure and greater pu­nishments then yet we feele or feare, for wee haue multiplied our offences, and yet thou hast held backe thy [Page 165]punishing hand, wee haue not been allured by thy merits though they be many, nor ad­monished by thy cha­stisemēts sent to draw vs vnto conformity: But rather thy long suffering hath made vs more secure, hard hearted and negligent: This hath caused thee sometimes to send signes of thy fearefull wrath, as sickenesse, vnseasonable weather, want of meanes to maintaine many who heretofore haue liued well: Our brethren [Page 168]abroad professing the same Religion suffer many heauy pressuers and are in much perill, wee at home though we haue long enioyed the liberty of exerci­sing the Religion wee professe, yet our cold­nesse and carelessenes in practising (besides our many other sins) hath hindered the pro­pagation of piety, di­shonored thy name, and indangered the truth: O Lord, yet at length, humble vs in the sight and sense of these our sins: Teach [Page 169]vs to learne, consider and remember, that for such, if not for lesse sinnes, thou didst consume Sodom, draw the deluge ouer the whole earth, and de­stroy, almost consume at an instant all the Creatures of the World.

Yet neither these examples nor our own chastisements haue preuailed to perswade vs vnto true humilia­tion, repentance and amendment of life: But now of late when thou hast sent signes [Page 170]in the ayre, inundati­ons of waters, pesti­lence, pouerty, decay of trades: and hast found amongst vs a decrease of desire to doe good: a desire to deceiue, p [...]ide of hart, delicious and luxuri­ous liuing, periury, and perfidious dea­ling, profanation of thy Name, Word and Sacraments: So that there being little hope of better beliefe, or of better liuing when thy sword of Iustice is rea­dy to be drawne, the light of trueth in some [Page 171]danger to be dimini­shed; and wee to receiue such punish­ments as we most iust­ly haue deserued: Yet consider wee are the workemanship ordai­ned for thy seruice: And though the Axe should be put vnto the tree, ready to out of our liues, estates and sauing knowledge, yet correct, but doe not (for thy mercies sake) confound vs; reforme but do not destroy vs: Make vs yet new crea­tures: O spare and de­ [...]iuer vs from the euill [Page 172]daies to come: Thou desirest not the death of sinners, but rather Conuersion, Let vs yet liue to honor thee whom we haue disho­no [...]ed; Though long peace and much plen­ty hath set vs a [...]eepe, and prouoked vs to much pride and pre­sumption, yet let vs with Hezechiah, tur­ning to the wall and weeping, be repriued from that sentence which our sinnes haue sent out against vs: and let vs learne to serue thee and not Sathan: [Page 173]So being preserued by thy mercy wee may yeeld Honour and praise to thy e­ternall Ma­iestie.

LOrd God, how senselesse am I of mine owne sinnes, that cannot see nor feele those I daily and continually com­mit: Some are secret and concealed from my self which I know not or cannot con­ceiue. [Page 175]And those though lesse haynous, or at the least, lesse vn­derstood, yet too hea­uy for me to beare, O­ther greater and more grieuous by mee not acknowledged, or not repented: and amongst many more that I passe ouer without a­ny examination of my selfe or repentance for them: Those cleaue most to the corrupti­ons of mine owne na­ture, as pride, selfe con­ceit, and other sinnes whereto I am most subiect, &c. These [Page 176]presse mee most, and others too much; yet pardon mee (O Lord) pardon that is past, purge me from them for time to come, cleanse the corrupti­ons of my nature, cure the Contagion that comes by euill company and the in­ticements of others, with whose fashions, wits, faces or flatte­ries, wee are seduced: And for mine owne inward concupiscense which easily sets it selfe on fire: O Lord quench it with the [Page 177]cooling and comfor­ting giftes of Grace, sobrietie, temperance and circumspection. Bee thou (most gra­cious God) that good Samaritan, to poure into my wounded soule the oyle of thy mercy, that so these destroyers of my soule being by thee destroyed, I may then surely say, O Death where is thy sting: O Hell where is thy victory, and blesse thee, who hast blessed mee with thine abundant mer­cies: [Page 178]to whom bee praises and glo­rie for euer Amen.

O LORD God most mighty mercifull and iust, who hast created all things of nothing only by thy power and word, who hast preserued all that thou hast made, and doest saue all those that doe faithfully call and trust on thee. Wee [Page 180]most miserable and wretched sinners doe confesse vnto thee a­gainst our selues to our owne shame and to thy glory, that wee were borne and con­ceiued in sinne, that wee haue liued and continued in sinne: that our whole liues haue beene nothing else but a heaping vp of sinne and iniquity against thy Holy and Heauenly Maiestie: That there is no sinne in his owne nature so heynous, or to thee so displeasing but either [Page 181]wee haue committed or else wee haue a pronenesse to commit the same. The sinnes of our youth; of our riper age and of our later, euen of these last time shaue flowed one vpon another, and haue polluted our soules, defiled our bo­dies, and displeased thy Maiestie, so that there is nothing due vnto vs, if thou shouldst deale with vs according to our de­serts, but death and de­struction in this life, Hell and perdition in [Page 182]the life to come. Whither then should we flie for succour and reliefe: If we goe vn­to Man, his breath is in his nostrils: that perishing he perisheth: If wee goe vnto An­gels, or to any power in Heauen, they haue no power but what they receiue [...] from thee; We come there­fore vnto thee, whose mercy is aboue all thy workes, beseeching thee in the multitude of thy mercies to haue compassion on vs. And in that loue [Page 183](which thou shewedst vnto Mankind, in sen­ding thy Son to suffer for vs, and to saue vs sinners, that thou wouldst by his blood, death and suffering, wash away our sinnes: And since thou hast sent him to Redeeme vs, suffer vs not to be destroyed: O Lord GOD, graunt vs penitence and true re­pentance for our sins past, watchfulnesse o­uer all our wayes for time to come, Care to keepe thy Comman dements, strength to [Page 184]withstand the tempta­tions of Satan. Humi­lity of heart, patience in the times of tryall and aduersitie: Con­stancy in calling vpon thee: Feruency in prai­er, Faith in thy promi­ses, Assurance of thy loue: Assistance in Temptations, Deliue­rance from dangers of soule and body, The right and Sancti­fied vse of thy crea­tures: Charitie to­wards our neighbors: and contentednes with our estates, To this end (gracious God) [Page 185]take from vs all those things that take vs from thee, and giue vs those graces that may make vs to loue thee, and declare vs to be intirely beloued of thee. Take from vs hardnesse of heart, dulnesse and slownes, in comming to thy seruice, Neglect of those Holy duties thou requirest vs to doe: Contempt of thy Commaundements, Misbeliefe, Vnbeliefe, Despaire and doubt­ing of thy mercy: Di­strust of thy proui­dence, [Page 186]Giue vs, aboue all things, Faith, sted­fa [...]ly to beleeue in thee, feruour in thy seruice: faithfulnesse in maintenance of thy trueth: courage to lay downe our liues for the continuance of thy glorious Gospell: thankefulnesse for all thy vnspeakable mer­cies: a loue of those that serue thee in sin cerity of heart, Libe­ralitie (according to our abilities) to those that are in distresse and danger for doing that they ought to do. [Page 187]And when thou hast fitted vs for thy ser­uice, and furnished our hearts with thy good graces, then send vs the ioy of thy Holy Spirit, a detestation of our former euill cour­ses, delight in keeping thy Lawes, a desire to bee dissolued in thy good appointed time, a meditation of our fraile liues, and a pre­paration for our vn­certaine deaths: And now (O blessed Lord) wee pray not for our selues alone here pre­sent, but for thy despi­sed, [Page 188]dispersed and di­stressed flocke throgh the face of the earth: It is a little flocke. O Lord increase it: It is dispersed, O Lord ga­ther thē together into thy fold: It is despised & distressed. Lord suc­cour defend & support them: Let not the wild Boares destroy thy Vineyard; nor the fat Bulles of Basan inuirō and ouerwhelme thy chosen ones, & those that loue thy trueth: Thou hast heretofore hedged thy Syon, Thou hast mightily [Page 189]and miraculously de­fended thy chosen Is­rael: Thy hand is not shortned thy power is still the same: Let not therefore those that loue not thy trueth, or them that loue it, say; where is now their God. Be mercifull to our soueraign, & to all the Royall Progeny: Gouerne the Gouer­nours of this Land, Giue them true wis­dome, sincere, vncor­rupt, and couragious hearts: Innoble the true Nobility, with Loyaltie to their [Page 190]Prince and State, the leading of a good life, and the longing for a better. Inspire the Clergie, with care and diligence to dis­charge their duties in their seuerall places: Make the Commons of this Kingdome more iust, more holy, more conscionable in their courses, more carefull of the com­mon safety and pro­sperity of the publike State: touch vs all with a zeale of thy feruice and truth, an inward reuerence of [Page 191]thy most holy Maie­stie, a remorse of our former irreligious life That so when wee shall part from this place, wee may part from our sinnes, but not from sorrow for hauing committed them; but may leaue them and leade a bet­ter life, till wee bee brought from death to that life where sor­row and sin raigneth not, where death hath no dominion, and where complaints & controuersies are not known, but haue their [Page 192]ende. This life, good Lord, graunt vs to leade in thy feare, and in the ende, to inioy that life, where ioyes doe last for euer, by the mercies of thee our Lord and onely Saui­our, A­men.

O LORD God who seest and searchest the secrets of all mens hearts; Thou that knowest how subiect I am to Pride, Anger and Enuie: My heart (good Lord) is puffed vp with pride, it swess with selfe conceipt, [Page 194]vaine glory and osten­tation: I take too much pride of those parts of my Bodie, as beautie, strength and stature, and make my selfe beleeue they are much more faire and fashionable then in­deede they are. So am I efflated and blowne vp like a bladder with conceit of mine owne knowledg, wit, vnder­standing and skill, ma­king them greater and more goodly vnto my selfe then they are or can bee; These foule faults (gracious God) [Page 195]sometimes I finde in my selfe, but nothing so often as I commit them: And though now I confesse it, yet I haue no power of my selfe to forsake this sinne, by which our first Parents fell out of Paradise, and we his sinnefull Progeny fol­low the same steppes, and are ready thereby to runne headlong vn­to Hell. O yet (most merciful father) clense me from this corrup­tion, cure me and I shal be cleane, graunt me a lowly, penitent and [Page 196]humble heart: Teach me to thinke worse of my selfe for my sins then of other men whose faults I know not; that I may not thinke so well of my selfe to contemne o­thers: O teach me to learne meckenesse of thee my Sauiour, who in thy humanitie hast ledde vs to the way of humblenes and meek­nesse both of thy pre­cepts and practise: Thou hast said, learne of me for I am meeke, O sweet Sauiour, what precept could bee [Page 197]sweeter, better or what Example could bee more Holy and per­fect. If Lucifer an An­gel of Heauen could not bee safe but was cast downe frō thence through pride and ar­rogancy: How should I bee safe whilest I commit this sinne so much, and so often heere on earth: Purge me therefore O God from Pride, and leade me by thy Heauenly hand vnto Humility, and lowlines of heart: Lord God how much am I ouerwhelmed [Page 198]with wrath and anger, how suddainly incen­sed, vpon how small and slender occasions am I moued by wrath to vse reproach, and to seeke reuenge, to for­sake Charity, to seeke others harme, and to aduenture mine owne ruine; so that my minde cannot be pea­ceable and quiet: So­dainely by anger, rea­son is disturbed, loue and good will forsa­ken, Faith broken, and fury drawing mee al­most to madnesse, by which I breake the [Page 199]bounds of Christian Charitie, I beseech thee (good Lord) (who feest how much I am subiect to this finne) make me more patient and peaceable, suppresse this passion of anger in me, that I may passe by small of­fences and may not bee sodainely prouo­ked vnto impatience: O Lord infuse into me moderation and mo­destie, temperance and sobriety, by which, and especially by the assistance of thy holy Spirit, I may bee able [Page 200]to master anger and passion, the furies of my minde, and the e­nemies of my Soule, And if anger at any time seize on mee, graunt that it may be setled on the zeale of thy truth, and the ser­uice of thee my God, for the suppressing of superstition, and the seeking to vindicate thine honour against such as seeke to disho­nour thee by Atheis­me, profanenesse and impiety, yet so as I sin not by rashnesse or re­uiling, but by making [Page 201]a difference betwixt the persons and their peruersenes, reseruing Charitie to the one, and labouring refor­mation of the other: take from me O Lord God, enuy and malice, suffer me not to fret at the prosperity of any, no not of the wicked and impious persons whose bounds are set, beyond which they shall not bee able to goe, much lesse let me enuy them who walke in vpright waies. But if through offence or iniuries I haue been at [Page 202]any time prouoked to proceede against them yet let mee not conti­nue with them in con­tention through dislike or disgust to wish them euill: But teach me by singlenesse and sincerity of heart to shunne the malicing of any man; that so shewing mercy and meekenesse I may re­ceiue mercy from thee that art the Lord of mercy: to whom bee giuen Honour and glory now and for euer A­men.

THou O Lord most mighty and mercifull hast sent sickenesse as a scourge for sinne, as a tryall of our Faith, and testimony of thy fauour, when it plea­seth thee to restore [Page 204]health. Thou hast vi­sited me and brought me neere the gates of Death, yet hast thou deliuered mee from danger, to the end I might publish thy praise and lead a more godly life, Feare came vpon mee on euery side, my flesh & Spirit did faint, but thy holy hand did sustaine mee and helpe mee vp: What praises (most gracious God) shall I render vnto thee for thy protection and preseruation: But that I doe as I am able. [Page 205]And, O Lord, inable me more to laude thee, more to call vp­on thy name, and to shew thy workes vn­to the people, to sing vnto thee prayses for this thy mercy in de­liuering me from the danger of Death; And now that thou hast re­stored mee to health, O Lord, restore mee to thy fauour: And as thou hast giuen strēgth vnto my body: so blessed God, streng­then my Soule against Sinne and Satan, that I may liue to giue thee [Page 206]Glory; and during this fading life, I may bee made faithfull in keeping thy Com­mandements, seruing thee in sinceritie of soule: and seeking thy glory both now, and at all times, Amen.

O LORD God most mighty and gracious: Our sinnes are great and grieuous, our pride, malice and am­bition, begets conten­tions, whence growes Warres and Desolati­on: Blood-shedding and destruction: thou [Page 208]that art the Lord of Hostes, seest it is in the hands of Princes to make warres, but it is in thy power only to end them, and to saue thy people: Great are the gatherings and forces already of ar­med men, ready to destroy one another, and great is like to be the slaughter, Except thou most mercifull God, be pleased to pa­cifie the minds of the Princes, and of the People, and to saue them who otherwise will fall to slaughter. [Page 209]Take yet (most graci­ous God) thine owne Cause into thine own hand, help thy people that professethy truth, lest they perish: Pre­serue them from pe­rills: Saue, good Lord, such as serue thee in truth, and call vpon thee in sinceri­ty of heart: Let not the Mightie ouer­whelme thy chosen Children, but either let the Oppressors feele thy power, or make them to incline their heartes vnto peace, and so saue the [Page 210]effusion of bloud, and temper the hearts of Christian Princes that they may come to the Knowledge of the truth, that Mercy and Truth may meet to­gether, that righte­ousnesse and peace may kisse each other. So bee it, good Lord.