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O Most high & mighty God, Fa∣ther and Protector of all things in heauen & earth, before whom all creatures feare and tremble, were it not in that thou hast commanded vs, neuer durst wée appeare before thée, so corrupt is our nature, and so many are our sinnes. But, good Father, thou
doest bid, and therefore wée obey, thou doest call, and therefore we come, giue vs spirits to pray aright. Wee yéelde thée most humble and hearty thankes, for all the mercies that euer thou hast bestowed vpon vs in body or minde, in our selues or in ours, priuate or common, temporall or eternall. Many and marueilous haue they béene, and still are vpon vs: yea, eueu (good Lord) past finding out. This day what thou hast done for vs, which of vs knoweth, or is able to expresse? Father of heauen, forgiue vs that wée cannot acknowledge them, or praise thée for them as we ought, and quic∣ken vs in this duty more and more. Pardon and forgiue vs whatsoeuer we haue offended thée withall this day, or at any time, either in thought, word, or déede, euen our secret sinnes, such as we haue committed and know not of: remit them vnto vs, for Christs sake: change vs (O Lord) and we shall be changed: create in vs cleane hearts, and renue a right spirit within vs. Breake the strength of sin, that would subdue vs more & more: And (O merci∣full Father) so frame these hearts of ours, within vs, that we may more de∣light
to liue according to thy will, then to enioy all the world, and all the plea∣sures therein. Lay it often (good Lord) before our eyes, by thy remembring Spirit, that thou hast not breathed the breath of life into vs, that we should liue as we list, but that in holines and righteousnesse, we should walke before thée all our daies. Lay it before vs (O Lord) that the time will come, when the Trumpet shall sound, the dead shal rise, and we, euen we here met toge∣ther at this time, all and euery one of vs, shal most assuredly stand before thy Judgement-seate with naked hearts, with open and vn••olded consciences, there to giue an account how and what we haue done. Then shall all such as haue beléeued in Christ, and truely serued thée in this life, to their end∣lesse ioy, heare that most comfortable voice of thine: Come ye blessed of my Father, possesse the Kingdome prepared for you. But woe, woe to all carelesse liuers in that day, they shall drinke the wiue of the wrath of God, be tor∣mented in fire and bri••stone before the holy Angels, & before the Lambe. They shall haue no rest day nor night, and the smoake of their torment shall
ascend for euermore. Father of heauen, haue mercy vpon vs, knit these hearts of ours fast vnto thée, and now while we haue time, giue vs grace not onely rightly to thinke of these things, but so to walke before thée in this present life, as becommeth thy Saints. O continue thy word of truth amongst vs, euer to our comfort. Let the séede thereof now sowne in our hearts, take such déepe roote, that neither the bur∣ning heate of persecntion cause it to wither, nor the thorny cares of this world, riches, or voluptuous liuing choake it, but as séede sowne in good ground, it may bring forth fruit accor∣ding to thy pleasure. O Father, giue vs grace, that when we heare or ••••nde by thy word, any sinne that is in vs, we may striue and study without delay, willingly to reforme it. Kéepe vs, good God, that wée neuer swarue for the feare of man, from our owne true knowledge, becomming seruers of time, and deuiers of thée. Kéepe vs from all hardnesse of heart, contempt of thy word, and from all dissembling of sinceritie. Increase true loue a∣mongst vs more and more. Blesse thy whole Church (O God) with graces
necessary, this parcell of it, our natiue Land and Country: deare Father, blesse it still with continuance of thy truth: Iessen in it daily the number of blinde and ignorant Papists, pro∣phane Atheists, and increase the num∣ber of thy true children. Preserue vnto vs long aliue, good Lord, if it please thée, our gracious King and Gouer∣nour: multiply thy Spirit vpon him and all his, that still more and more, he and they may séeke and set forth thy glory in maintaining Christian reli∣gion in all purity, suppressing all vice, superstition, and Idolatry, with all seuerity. Giue vnto him an honoura∣ble Counsell: giue them graces ne∣cessary for such a calling. Blesse all other Nobles, Magistrates, and the whole body of this Realme, with true hearts to thée and to this Countrey. Increase in this our Israel the num∣ber of true Watchmen, whose hearts may séeke thée and thy people, and not their owne glory and commodity. Bring to thy fold by them such wan∣dring remnants as are thine, And (O Lord) be gracious to our kindred and friends in the flesh, lighten their hearts with the Sunne of vnderstan∣ding,
that they and wée acknowledge∣ing one truth, may glorifie thée in the true and constant profession of the same, all the dayes of our life. Comfort (O Christ) thy afflicted members, wheresoeuer, or howsoeuer troubled, and grant vs peace in our dayes, if it be thy pleasure.
Finally, because the night is now vpon vs, and we ready to take our rest, let the bed (O Lord) strike into our hearts a consideration, that the graue is almost ready for vs. Which of vs can tell whether these eies of ours once closed vp, shall euer open any more a∣gaine or no? Lord, therefore receiue vs: into thy hands we all here now commend our selues, bodies & soules, vnto thy holy protection and proui∣dence: kéepe vs this night and euer∣more ready for thée when thou shalt call vs. Heare vs, O Lord, O God, and Father mercifull, in these our pe∣titions, for thy Sonne Jesus Christ his sake, our Sauiour: in whose name we altogether begge these mer∣cies, saying as Christ our Sauiour hath taught vs:
Our Father which art in heauen, hal∣lowed
be thy Name. Thy Kingdome come. Thy Will be done in earth as it is in Heauen Giue vs this day our daily Bread. And forgiue vs our trespasses, as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs, and lead vs not into temptation, but de∣liuer vs from euill. For thine is the King∣dome, the power, and the glory, for euer and euer. Amen.
Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arme (O Lord) be still our defence: thy mercy & louing kindnesse in Iesus Christ, our saluation; thy true and holy word our instruction; thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort and consolation vnto the end and in the end. Amen.
The Lord blesse vs, and saue vs: and make his face to shine vpon vs, and be mercifull vnto vs: the Lord turne his fa∣uourable countenance towards vs this night and euermore.