In the time of Gods visitation by Sickenesse, or Mortality especially, may be vsed by Gouernours of Families
First, A Confession of sinnes.
O Eternall, Almighty, and iust God, mercifull, louing, and holy Father, wee thy humble seruants humbly confesse and acknowledge here in thy presence, that all the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts are onely euill continually, yea euery man in his best estate is altogether vanitie. And we (dust and ashes) haue grieuously sinned, wee haue transgressed thine holy lawes and ordinances, we haue exceeded in measure, number and weight, the iniquities of our forefathers, and haue thereby iustly deserued that thou shouldest in thy iust iudgement haue drawne forth the sword of thy iustice, and executed vengeance, euen in the highest degree against vs, according to the measure, number and weight of our manifold sinnes and haynous iniquities, we are not worthy of the least of all thy mercies. Wee humbly also confesse and acknowledge (euen against our selues) that neither thousands of Rammes, nor tenne thousand riuers of oyle (if we were able and willing to yeeld them vnto thee) are sufficient to satisfie thy iustice for the least of the iniquities which we haue committed against thee, if thou shouldest turne thine eye of mercy and compassion away from vs; and these things heretofore we confessed (O Lord) but our liues we amended not. And yet notwithstanding (O mercifull Lord, holy and louing Father) so great is thy louing kindnesse towards vs, and so manifold are thy mercies, that thou (of thy fauour) hast beene pleased (euen in pittie and compassion for thine owne sake, without any desert of ours) to pacifie thine owne wrath, by a few light and easie strokes with thy rod of correction, and so for a time to cease thine anger, to trie vs if we would seeke after thee, not suffering thy punishing Angel to passe through Ierusalem and Iudea, London, and other these dominions, with a swift course and heauy hand, as in the dayes of King Dauid. And (finding vs a rebellious and stiff-necked people) hast sent out thine Angel to threaten and execute vengeance in greater weight, and in greater measure against vs, if we will not amend. And yet in fauour stayest from executing thy fierce wrath. What shall we then offer vnto thee (O Lord our God) for all the blessings which we haue reciued from thee? Thou hast no neede to receiue of vs, all beasts, all cattell, all sheepe on mountaines; yea the earth is thine, and all that therein is, the world, and they that dwel therein, we our selues, and all that we haue are thine, what haue we that we haue not receiued of thee? We confesse (O Lord) euen against our selues, that we haue nothing to offer but the calues of polluted lippes, proceeding from vncleane & vncircumcised hearts, that is, praise, thankes, and prayer, and the same (if thou shouldest consider them as they are ours) very ful of vanities and corruptions.
Secondly, A thanksgiuing for deliuerances.
SVch as we haue (yet) O mercifull father, we (more humbly and more freely, and hartily, then heretofore) offer vnto thy Maiestie. Wee praise thy holy, great and glorious name, and we yeeld vnto thee humble and hearty thankes for thy great & wonderfull deliuerances; deliuerances from pestilence, famine, & sword, heretofore worthily threatned against vs, & for other thy manifold fauors & blessings bountifully bestowed vpon this Citty, and vpon this Land, & (now especially Lord) for thy great mercie, in that thou art pleased, euen now at this present, once againe to touch the people of this Land for their triall, with thy louing rodde of fatherly correction, rather then in iustice to powre out the violls of thy wrath, vtterly to consume vs for our vnthankefulnesse and disobedience.
Thirdly, A Prayer for continuance of Gods mercies.
ANd we humbly and hartily pray thee (O Lord) euen for thine owne names sake, and for thy Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christes sake, lay not to our charge our offences past, forgiue vs our iniquities, couer our sinnes, and impute them not vnto vs, and then wee shall be blessed. Purge, frame, and forme our hearts anew; soften them, and make them repentant and obedient, willing freely without backe-sliding or halting to yeelde obedience vnto that spirite which saith: Giue me the hart; deliuer vs also (holy Father) not onely from perishing by waters, according to thy mercifull and gratious promise made of olde, but also from that aboundance of waters, which may kill, hurt and hinder, the seede or fruits of the earth, and giue vs holy Father (as gratiously in great mercie thou hast giuen vs) onely that former and that latter raine, commended in thy holy word, and other seasonable and temperate weather, which may yeeld vnto the good seede of the ground, as now, so hereafter, (by thy blessing) in times conuenient life, growth and increase, so as we may by thy gracious fauour, as this yeare, so others also, at length reape the fruites of plentifull haruests: And because so it is (Lord) that thou makest a land barren for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein, change thou our hearts (we humbly beseech thee) roote out the wickednesse from the hearts of the inhabitants of the land, and then we shall be sure that the land shall yeeld her increase. Giue vs O Lord thy grace and holy spirit, to guide and gouerne vs, and to hold vs within the lists and limites of thy holy precepts and ordinances, in such sort, as that we may for euer hereafter, vse thy word as the onely wise, and al-sufficient rule to square our lines by, knowing that all vnwritten verities, and all traditions, and inuentions of men, yea all the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts are onely euill continually; let thy word be a lanthorne to our feete, and a light vnto our pathes, knowing that therein is the true Kings high-way to be found, that leadeth to euerlasting life and saluation, and that all other wayes which haue not warrant from thence (if thou shalt in iudgement looke into them) will be found to be but by-paths, leading to eternall death and destruction. Giue vs (O Lord) a holy and earnest desire, often to heare thy holy and heauenly word: giue vs wise, vnderstanding, faithfull and obedient hearts, that we may truely vnderstand, & faithfully belieue; & may (not for feare, or fashion, or for any other worldly respect whatsoeuer, but in a true obedience for conscience sake) fruitfully practise in our liues and conuersations thine holy statutes & ordinances. Continue thy grace, mercy, and accustomed louing kindnesse (O Lord we beseech thee for thine owne names sake, and for thy Sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christes sake) vnto King Iames our blessed Dauid, and vnto the Queene, and the Prince his sonne, and to all his royall progeny. And grant (if it be thy good pleasure) that he may attaine to the yeares of the eldest of his Fathers, in the dayes of their Pilgrimage, set vp his seede after him (Lord we beseech thee) and stablish the throne of his Kingdome in his posteritie in all ages, so as there may not want a man of his seede to sit vpon his throne, to feede people in Iacob, and thine inheritance in Israel, so long as the heauen and the earth indure. Be mercifull also vnto all Israel, Ierusalem, and Iudea, London, and all the Kings Dominions; and to the Magistrates and Ministers of thy holy word and sacraments. In their seuerall degrees, dignities, and callings, giue them (O Lord we beseech thee) a true loue and zeale of the execution of thy holy lawes, that they may (according to thine owne appointments) faithfully, dilligently, and with a religious care and conscience, of the aduancement of the glorious gospel of thy Sonne our Lord and Sauior Iesus Christ, discharge that great charge and weightie burthen which thou hast laide vpon them: and stop the entry and passage (O Lord) both to Magistracie and Ministery, so as neither rauening wolues deuourers, nor wily foxes deceiuers of thy stocke, nor any others, but such onely as thou knowest to be furnished with gifts fit for the discharge of those great and weighty callings, be suffered to enter or passe thereunto. We vse meanes (O Lord) to preserue health, and to auoide and expulse infection: But we depend not vpon them, we trust not in them, wee humbly confesse, that no good successe, no blessing, can come but from thee, and by thee alone: and therefore we humbly and hartily pray thee to giue successe, and to yeeld thy blessing thereunto, and to say once againe to thine Angel, Hold now thy hand. More particularly (O holy Father) continue also (we beseech thee) thy mercy and louing kindenesse to the little flocke within this house, and to thy humble and vnworthy seruant whom thou (of thy fauor) hast appointed to be ouerseer thereof, and giue vnto them thy grace in such measure that they may so walke euery of them in their seuerall places and callings, as may be agreeable to thy holy and blessed wil, through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour. In whose name wee humbly further pray vnto thee for these and all other things which thou in thy wisdome knowest to be most meete for vs, and for thy whole Church, in that forme of prayer which he himselfe hath taught vs. Our Father which art in heauen, &c.
Printed at London by Valentine Simmes, dwelling on Adling hill at the signe of the white Swanne.