A pathvvay to patience in all manner of crosses, tryals, troubles, and afflictions: inwardly for sinne, or outwardly by sicknesse, pouerty, enemies, imprisonment, banishment, slaunders, disobedience of children, houshold-crosses betweene man and wife, &c. With necessary prayers for euerie of them; as also for diuers other necessarie purposes. By I.N.

A Prayer to be said before a man goes to his nightly rest.

O Gracious Lord God heauenly Fa∣ther, the keeper and preseruer of all that come vnto thee for suc∣cour; I haue been through thy great mercie and pro∣uidence, kept, preserued, defended, fed, sustained, and relieued this day, now come to an end; and now as the night succeedeth the day, and the darkenes the light; so I knowe O Lord, that death will suc∣ceede my life, and the graue my bed.

Lord, thou madest in the beginning, light and

darknes, night & day, mor∣ning & euening, and all to thine own glorie, & to the vse of wretched man, who in the beginning turned his light into darkenesse, & that darkenesse hath ouer∣shadowed al that haue pro∣ceeded of his corrupt seed; among whom O Lord, I am so bemisted and blin∣ded with that originall darkenes, as I cannot see, nor truely conceiue the light of thy most sacred word, without that spiri∣tuall light, shining from thine illuminating Spirit.

Thou madest two lights O Lord, to endure for euer, the Sun to gouerne the day, and the Moone to giue light in the night;

yet doe not these lights O Lord, direct our feete in the wayes of righteous∣nesse, nor our pathes in obedience, but rather lead vs to the occasions to sin; but it is the supernaturall light O Lord, that procee∣deth from the brightnesse of thy louing counte∣nance, that directeth aright those that are thy children of the light.

By this light O Lord, guide me, that the night of ignorance ouer shadowe me not from beholding thy louing countenance, which is more pretious & more sweete vnto me, then all earthly delights.

The day-light wherein I should onely followe

with godly diligence in my calling, & to serue thee, turneth into the darkenes of my minde without thy spirituall light: how much more will the darkenesse of the night miscarrie my corrupt hart, into idle and vngodly thoughts, espe∣cially, by the temptations of the Prince of darkenes, when thy light faileth me?

For such O Lord, is the nature of my polluted heart, that it neuer resteth to infuse euill imagina∣tions into my mind; espe∣cially in my night wa∣kings, and in my sleepe to trouble me, with sundrie euil & vngodly dreames & wicked phantasies; show∣ing thereby the fruites of

my sinfull nature.

Therefore gracious Fa∣ther, I finding in my selfe, & thou knowing mine im∣perfections better then my selfe, I come in all hum∣blenesse, praying thee to assist me with thy grace, that I may conuert my heart from the euils where∣unto it is enclined, and onely incline and frame it to the sincere seruice of, & obedience to thee; and to dedicate my mind, will and affections, in my night wa∣kings, either to meditate of thy word, or in making my faithfull prayers vnto thee.

I cannot O Lord, through the weakenesse of my cor∣rupte nature subsist with∣out

cōpetent rest & sleep; yet I know thou slumbrest not nor sleepest: but with thee the day and night are alike light, and in thy pro∣uidence and loue, hast an eye ouer all that are thine whether they sleep or wake.

Giue therefore com∣mand O Lord, vnto thy heauenly watchmen to keepe me, and all that I haue, from danger this night: so will I lay mee downe vnder the shadowe of thy protecting winges to take my rest this night; faithfully cōmending my soule and body, and all that belong vnto me, into thy most powerfull and fa∣therly tuition; so shall I not feare what Satan or

any malicious instrument of his shall practise or plot against me.

And in this assurance O Lord, confirme my faith from night to day, and from day to night; that all the dayes and nights of my life, may be rightly spent in a holy and sancti∣fied conuersation, to thy glorie and mine own com∣fort, vnto the end of all my nights and dayes, through Iesus Christ my Sauiour and Redeemer. Amen.

Lord, encrease and confirme my faith, this night and euermore.