Ancilla pietatis: or, The hand-maid to priuate deuotion presenting a manuell to furnish her with necessary principles of faith. Forcible motiues to a holy life. Vsefull formes of hymnes and prayers. ... By Daniel Featly, D. in Diuinity.

The Prayer for Tuesday Euening: composed of

• Petitions sutable to the the sufferings of Christ on this day.
• Motiues to seeke after the meanes of our sal∣uation, agreeable to the precedent exhortation.

BLessed Redeemer, who tro∣dest the wine-presse of thy fa∣ther's wrath alone, reconcile mee to thy Father, and of a child of wrath make mee a child of grace, and sonne of desires. Thou who tro∣dest the wine-presse alone, no Arch-angell, or Angel, or any creature in heauen or in earth, being ioy∣ned with thee in that worke. Giue mee a taste of the new wine of thy Gospel, to cheere vp and reuiue my drooping spirits, and comfort my heauy and sorrowfull heart. Thou which camest with thy garments red from Bozra; yea, as

red as bloud. Cloath mee with thy red garment died in thine owne bloud. Couer my nakednesse, defor∣mities, wounds, and sores from the sight of thy Father. Thy garment is no narrow nor scanty garment; it is large enough to couer thee, and all thine Elect. It is the wed∣ding garment, without which none shall euer be admitted into the Kings Supper, but bee bound hand and foot, and cast into outward darknesse; where shall bee weeping, and gnashing of teeth. And this doome we all deserued; for wee were borne naked and voide of all good, and we lay a long time wallowing in our owne bloud and filth, and no eye pittied vs, till it pleased thee of meere loue and compassion to take vpon thee a nature of infirmities, to cure all the infirmities of our nature, and to cloath thy selfe with flesh, that thou mightest beare off our blowes, and receiue the stroakes of diuine iustice that wee should

haue endured, and deadded them in thine owne body. O what shall I returne vnto thee, by way of thankefull acknowledgement of such thy loue? I can render thee nothing but that which thou hast giuen me. I can render thee no∣thing that is not thy due before. I can render thee nothing but that which thou puttest into my heart to render it to thee. Wherefore I hūbly beseech thee, by thy grace to enflame my heart with thy loue, to incite mee to perpetuall praise & thanksgiuing: to kindle in me an euerlasting desire to ap∣proue my self vnto thee, & more and more tie thy loue vnto me. O let nothing be so precious to me as thy fauour, nothing so fearfull as thy displeasure; nothing so hatefull as sin; nothing so desira∣ble as thy grace. Let me not now like a little child run in the dirt, & soile my cloathes, and take many a fal in pursuite of a Butter-fly, or a bubble of Sope appearing glo∣rious

in the aire, but suddenly vanishing to nothing. Let mee not be so foolish as to lay the foundation of my happinesse in sinking sands, or goe about to chase a vanishing shadow. Let me enter into a serious conside∣ration of the vanitie of the world, and the deceitfulnesse of riches, and shame of pleasures, and folly of sports, and leuity of honours, and danger of greatnesse, and account of all. Perswade mee by thy Spirit out of thy Word that I haue heere no abiding Citie, but seeke for one hereafter. That I am a stranger and pilgrim here vpon earth; and therefore howsoeuer I haue heretofore mis-spent my time, and mis-placed my affecti∣ons, and spilt my labours, and lost my selfe in following earth∣ly vanities; yet let me now take the right way to true content∣ment. Let all my trauailes be to∣wards heauen, all my trade for spiritual merchandise, all my labour

for the meate that perisheth not, all my searching for the pearle of the Gospell, all my seeking for the Kingdome of God and the righte∣ousnesse thereof. Let mee desire temporall blessings onely for spi∣rituall ends; wealth, that I may he rich in good workes; prefer∣ment, to aduance the honour of the Gospell; health & strength, the better to enable mee to doe thee seruice; length of dayes, that I may praise thee in the Land of the liuing. Lord, whose life was sought this day to destroy it, seeke thou mine to saue it. Lord who this day w••rt anointed to thy death and buriall, anoint me with thy Spirit to eternall life. Saue mee from the hands of all mine enemies, that I may serue thee without feare, in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life. Guard mee by thy proui∣dence, that securely reposing my soule on thy mercy for my ab∣solution from sinne, and my

bodie on thy power for deliue∣rance from all dangers, I may so by rest and sleepe refresh and strengthen both, that I may rise the next morning more cheere∣fully to trauaile in the wayes of thy lawes, and workes of thy com∣mandements. So be it. Amen.

The close out of Scripture.

Vnto him that is able to doe ex∣ceeding aboundantly, aboue all that I aske or thinke, accor∣ding to the power that worketh in me, be glory in the Church, by Christ Iesus, throughout all ages, world without end, Ephes. 3. 20, 21.