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O Most mighty & mer∣cifull God, the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, the Prince of power, and the God of all comfort and consolation, our strong Rocke, our sure refuge and defence against the damna∣ble and dangerous assaults
of our enemies both bodi∣ly and ghostly, which hast commanded vs in our greatest perils and necessi∣ties to flye vnto thee for safety, and boldly to call vpon thee for our deliuery: which also by thy diuine power, and vnsearchable wisedome hast made hea∣uen and earth, & all things therein contained; as An∣gels, Archangels, Men, Women, Children, the beasts of the field, the fishes in the Sea, the Fowles of the Ayre, and the Fruits of the Earth; which all were made at thy Word, and are subiect to thy power, to
vse at thy good will & plea∣sure, as seemeth best to thy Maiesty; whether it bee to honour or dishonour, sal∣uation, or condemnation. We entirely beseech thee of thy goodnes (O Lord) and that with sorrowfull hearts, trickling teares, wa∣tery cheekes, and groning spirits, to be mercifull vnto vs all here assembled, and to all thy people vexed with woe throughout the wide world: but especially at this present, we heartily desire thee to looke downe from heauen with the eyes of compassion and pitie vpon this thy creature and
workmanship of thy hands, who is now grieuously vex∣ed and tormented in mind. O Lord, enter not into iudgement with thy ser∣uants: for then no flesh can be saued in thy sight. We acknowledge (O Lord) that wee are miserable sinners, vnworthy to lift vp our eyes to heauen, or to gather vp the crums which fall from thy table. Yet notwithstan∣ding, wee humbly beseech thee (O deare Father) not to deale with vs according to our deserts, which is e∣uerlasting death, vtter shame and confusion, hell fire, perpetuall paine and
damnation: But according to thy accustomed clemen∣cy, take from vs all igno∣rance, hardnes of heart, des∣peration, and all the wyly suggestions and grieuous temptations of Satan our old enemy. Let not the Di∣uell (O Lord) nor any hel∣lish hound spoile thine in∣heritance, which thou hast bought with the price of the precious bloud of thy deare Sonne our Sa∣uiour Iesus Christ. Thou onely (O Lord) reignest in heauen in glory, in earth in mercy, and in hell in iudgement. Thou onely art the author of life & death,
sicknes and health, ioy and paine. It is thou which cast∣est downe to hell, and rai∣sest vp againe to heauen: yea, it is thou, and none o∣ther which giuest thy holy Spirit to bee a comfort to thine elect people, and sometimes troublest their minds with illusions and vanities; suffering Satan the roring Lyon, and his Ministers, to haue domini∣on for a time ouer them, as appeareth at this present by thy iust iudgement, de∣clared and inflicted vpon this comfortlesse cay••ife, thy poore prisoner, and af∣flicted creature, vnto the
great anguish and torment of his soule and body, to the discomfort of his wife, friends and kinsfolke, and to the terrour and feare of all that euer heare or see him in this wofull case.
O Lord, thy iudgements are deepe, and thy counsell vnsearchable, and vnwor∣thy are wee to know the counsels and secrets of the Highest: much lesse ought wee curiously to search to vnderstand the causes of this woe, and the occasion of this thy plague and grie∣uous crosse laid vpon this miserable man. Notwith∣standing, whether thou hast
thus visited him for his for∣mer sinnes, and by that meanes to call him to re∣pentance and amendment of life: or to exercise his faith by the tryall of thy iu∣stice, or for the terrour, and warning of all those that see or heare of him, that they may therby feare thy name, acknowledge thy power, auoid thy hea∣uy displeasure, repent their sinfull liuing, and call to thee betimes for mercie and grace; or else to the end to shew thy great might & glory vpon him, and so to signifie vnto all people that thou art God
alone, that rulest both hea∣uen and earth, that stayest the madnes of the people, and the furiousnes of the Fiend, or for what cause so euer it bee that thou hast laid thy heauy hand of iudgement vpon him. Yet wee humbly beseech thee (O Lord God) not of our selues, or for our selues, but in the bowels of thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ, whom thou hast made the Re∣demption of the world; to mitigate thy sury by tender mercy; asswage thy wrath, and stay thy heauy hand al∣ready begunne and conti∣nued in fraile flesh. Let
not the Diuell nor all the powers in hell tempt him, aboue that which hee shall be able through Christ his Sauiour to beare. O Lord, restore in him of thy good∣nes, whatsoeuer hath been decayed by the malice or suggestion of Satan, or by his owne frailtie and wic∣ked disposition, or by any his enemies, the flesh, world, Diuell, or sinne. We confesse vnto thee, O Lord, that sinne is rife in vs, the flesh is fraile, the world is wicked, and the Diuell is most malicious. O Lord God, among these so many and mischieuous enemies,
what shall we deuise to do? Whithershal we fly? There is no way with vs but one, wee must lift vp our eyes, our hands and our hearts vnto thee (O Lord:) Our help is from aboue, our victory proceedeth from thy grace and Throne of thy Maiestie: To heauen therefore wee lift vp both heart, hands, eyes, and all our powers; and vnto thee (O gracious Lord) we call and cry for helpe. Breake the heauens & come down (O Lord;) let our prayers pierce thine eares. Arise (O God) and scatter thine enemies and ours; stay the
race of Satan, thon that art the glory of Sion, and strength of Israel, take from him his weapons and har∣nesse, wherewith he goeth about to spoile thine Inhe∣ritance: Bruze and breake the head of Leuiathan that subtill Serpent, which seeketh nothing but our destruction. Weaken his force, disperse and con∣found all his politique pra∣ctices, whereby hee dayly goeth about to ouerthrow thy seeble flocke. Let not this ramping and roring Lyon deuoure vs, but chain him vp, and tye him short, halter and bridle his cruell
deuices, wherewithall hee worketh woe vnto thy ser∣uants and Saints, for he can doe nothing without thy permission: thou which rulest the raging of the Sea that it cannot passe her bounds, and hast Satan fet∣tered and fast bound in chaines, so that he cannot doe what hee would, but what pleaseth thee: for thy mercy hath conquered his cruelty to our great com∣fort. Thou hast comman∣ded vs to call vpon thee in the day of our trouble, and thou wilt deliuer vs, and we shall glorifie thee. Thou hast also promised in thy
holy Word, to grant our godly Petitions, saying vn∣to vs like a most louing Fa∣ther: Aske, and you shall haue: Seeke, and you shall finde: Knocke, and it shall be opened vnto you: We aske of thee with pensiue soules, and would gladly obtaine mercy and for∣giuenes of all our offences: We seeke, and would glad∣ly finde that which wee haue lost by our vnthanke∣fulnes and sinne: we knock at the gate of Grace, and will neuer cease knocking, vntill thou open vnto vs the bowels of compassion and pitie, and grant vs the
feeling of thy good graces, to the full satisfaction and quieting of our troubled spirits, & carefull conscien∣ces. Therefore O God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Ghost, heare our prayers, and grant our humble requests, which with sobbing sighs & con∣trite hearts cry vnto thee for succour.
O Lord haue mercy vp∣on vs, haue mercy vpon vs, most mercifull Father: and for thy Sonne Iesus Christs sake, destroy not this afflicted creature in thy fury: suffer not this troubled and tormented
person to perish euerlast∣ingly. Take away from him (good Lord) this euill spi∣rit, and vilde affection, wherewithall he is grieued and turmoiled: and indue him with thy holy Spirit, which may comfort his af∣flicted Spirit, and frame his disposition heereafter to leade a godly conuersati∣on, and a quiet life: So that after the tryall and sharpe taste of this thy fearefull iudgement, he may make a godly and quiet end, and be deliuered from euerlast∣ing damnation and destru∣ction. O Lord, the mo and the greater his sinnes be; so
much the more shall thy might and mercy appeare in his deliuerance and re∣stauration. Thy mercy (O Lord) is aboue all thy workes, and thy power is wonderfull and inuincible. Thou diddest command* 1.1 the Diuels which were ve∣ry fierce in two persons (yea and so terrible, that no man might goe by that way where they were) to goe out of them into the Herd of Swine, insomuch that they were quiet at thy com∣mandement, where before they were bound with chaines and fetters, and no man could tame them, but
night and day they cryed in the Mountaines, and in the Graues, and strooke themselues with stones. Thou diddest also deliuer* 1.2 a man which was dumbe, and possessed with a Diuel, so that the people maruel∣led thereat. Thou (O Lord) with the eyes of compassi∣on and pitie diddest looke vpon the Woman of Ca∣naan, who cryed, saying, Haue mercy on mee, O* 1.3 Lord, the sonne of Dauid: my Daughter is miserably vexed with a Diuell: and her Daughter was made whole the same houre. Thou also haddest mercie
on the man that kneeled* 1.4 downe to thee, and said: Master, haue on pitie my* 1.5 Sonne, for hee is Lunatike and sore vexed: for often∣times hee falleth into the water, and oftentimes into the fire; and wheresoeuer the dumbe spirit taketh him, hee teareth him, and hee fometh, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and as soone as the spirit saw thee (O Lord) he tare him, and he fell down to the ground, wallowing and foming. But thou (in∣continently) diddest re∣buke the vnclean spirit, and saidst vnto him; thou dumb
and deafe spirit, I charge thee come out of him, and enter no more into him: and presently he departed, and tooke his vltimum vale of him.
And many other times (O Lord) thou hast shewed as well thy might as mer∣cie, in deliuering the halt, the maymed, the dumbe, the blinde, the furious, the sicke, the Lepers, and the lunatike, and those which were possessed with Di∣uels, by the ministery of thy Apostles and true Disci∣ples. And thou hast more∣ouer commanded vs, say∣ing: Go into al the world,
preach the Gospell, heale the Sicke, comfort the Weake, raise the Dead, clense the Lepers, and cast out Diuels. Grant vnto vs thy deare children, and faithfull seruants, who are most earnest suters vn∣to thee at this present, that we may in like maner finde fauour in thy sight, so farre forth, as we may obtain our request at thy gracious hands, and haue our Petiti∣ons heard, and that by the power of thy Word, hear∣ty Prayer, and a true Faith in Christ Iesus, thou wilt put Satan to flight, destroy his Kingdome, and vtterly
extinguish all his suggesti∣ons, and dangerous temp∣tations: and so restore vn∣to this afflicted person heere present, his former health, senses, and vnder∣standing, for thy deare Son Iesus Christ his sake. Cre∣ate (O Lord) a new heart, and reuiue thy holy Spirit in him, that he do not blas∣pheme thy holy name; but rather take thy visitation patiently, and bee content to submit himselfe to thy good will and pleasure: So that come life, come death, come sicknes, come health, come ioy, come pain, both he and wee and the whole
world may magnifie and extoll thy blessed Name in all actions: and as our bounden duty is, dayly and hourely giue thee honour and praise for thy great goodnes and mercies to∣wards vs, through our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ.
Mat. 3. 28.
Mat. 9. 32.
Mat. 15. 22
Mat. 17. 14
Mar. 9. 18.