The safegard of the soule Declaring sundry soueraigne salues tending to the comfort and saluation of the same: very necessarie to bee learned and obserued of all men, and at all times, but chiefely in the extremitie of sicknes, and grieuous pangs of death. Composed by Lawrence Bankes, preacher of the word of God: and parson of Staunton, in the county of Glocester.

A fruit full Prayer in time of any common sicknes or Plague.

O Lord God of Hosts, most mighty and ter∣rible, our guide and graci∣ous Gouernour, whose iudgements and mercy are

dayly and diuersly shewed vnto vs heere on earth, whose praise the Angels and Saints aboue extol and magnifie; whose power the Diuels themselues are for∣ced to acknowledge and feare, & whose voice both windes and raging Seas do obey: Thou most mighty and eternall God, from whom proceedeth blessing, and cursing; mercy, and iudgement; health, and sicknes: Mercy to the pe∣nitent and godly, iudge∣ment without mercy to the Reprobate and wicked. Thou it is which renuest thy plagues against man

when hee offendeth, whose vengeance from heauen is so sodaine and fearefull to∣wards the rebellious and disobedient, that for one sinne in Dauid, thou did∣dest destroy with the loth∣some disease of the Pesti∣lence, many thousands of his people: Cast thine eyes of mercy vpon vs (O thou preseruer of men) which languish in this Land with the same diseases and sick∣nes: Where not Dauid one∣ly hath offended in trust∣ing to his strength, but eue∣ry Congregation, and eue∣ry houshold hath not one way, but many wayes pro∣uoked

thee to plague so vn∣godly and vngracious a people: and now that the doore of thy store-house is open, and thy plagues ap∣peare: wee see we haue of∣fended, and wee sorrow at the sight of our sinnes.

Now wee consider wee haue offended grieuously, we haue done amisse, wee haue dealt wickedly, wee haue liued vngodly, wee haue swarued from the way of Truth without any god∣ly feare, or remorse of con∣science: Thy benefits of peace, health, and wealth, haue brought too too ma∣ny of vs to such securitie

and contempt of Religion, that we abuse thy blessings as fast as thou powrest them vpon vs: Our thoughts, words, and workes are vaine, carnall and diuelish: The fruits of the flesh haue ouergrowne the force of the Spirit; Faith faileth, sinne hath gotten the vpper hand, and our reason is so ouer-ruled with affections, that few are found settled in a dutifull forme of vp∣right and spirituall obedi∣ence. Wherefore we con∣fesse, thou mightest iustly forsake vs, as wee forsake thee, and not only proceed to sting the whole body of

this Land with sundry Plagues and Diseases; but also for our sins condemne vs most iustly to eternall death: whose consciences are so guilty, that they con∣demne our selues. And yet for all this, thy mercy is vn∣measurable towards the humble and penitent, though once thou spakest to Ieremy against thine owne people being diso∣bedient to thee, saying: Though Moses and Samuel* 1.1 stood before mee, yet haue I no heart (or affection) vn∣to this people: Cast them out of my sight, and let them de∣part, some vnto Death, some

to the Sword, some to Famine, and some to Captiuitie. This people was in a pitiful case, and we are more miserable and sinfull, and haue defer∣ued a more heauy hand of thy iudgement to bee laid vpon vs. Notwithstanding (O Lord) wee humbly be∣seech thee to deale with vs in mercy, stay thy hand, and bid thine Angell cease from punishing: Looke with a cheerefull counte∣nance vpon thy people: Blesse vs (O heauenly Fa∣ther) within and without: Be thou our guard, thy Word our guide, thy Spi∣rit our comfort, and thy

Sonne our Sauiour. Stay by vs continually, hold vs vp by thy right hand strongly, and direct vs by thy counsell wisely. So shall we be inwardly comforted, though the world con∣spire, Satan rore, the wic∣ked rise vp against vs; yea, though the earth bee mo∣ued, the pillars of heauen shake, the Sea rage, plagues fall, & all creatures frowne: Yet shall not wee eyther feare, tremble, or bee dis∣mayed with any boisterous blast of aduersitie, so long as we trust in thee, leane to thee, serue thee, and rest vpon thee, as our strong

Rocke: for thou art migh∣ty in the heate of iudge∣ment, and yet mercifull in the middest of miseries. Haue pitie therefore vpon vs most miserable sinners, mitigate thy fury, asswage our pain, release our smart, and pardon our passed faults. Wee confesse (O deare Father) that wee of our selues are the cause of our owne woe, and prouo∣kers of this thy plague and grieuous punishmēt which is fallen vpon vs most wor∣thily. Yea, our owne dete∣stable deeds committed a∣gainst thy sacred will, our obstinate pride, in time of

plenty, our securitie in time of health; our vnthankeful∣nes towards thy goodnes, in time of prosperitie; our contempt of thy Word dayly read and preached vnto vs, did threaten long before this thy rodde and scourge of sicknes, or some greater iudgement.

Our continuall transgres∣sions; as our Idlenes, Wan∣tonnesse, Whoredome, Drunkennesse, Gaming, Swearing, Swilling, Slan∣dering, Stealing, Fighting, Quarrelling, Polling, Pil∣ling, Vsurie, Extortion and Oppression of the poore; our Bribery, Couetousnes,

Defrauding of the Wid∣dow and Fatherlesse, with a huge heape moe of such like vices, haue beene the causes of this our miserie and smart, which now wee feele to our torment and griefe, and haue mooued thee the holy One of Israel to powre out the fearefull cup of thy wrath and ven∣geance vpon vs, which thy iustice doth craue, and wee dayly deserue. Neuerthe∣lesse (deare Father of mer∣cie) though wee haue through our sinnes shewed our selues enemies vnto thee, and vessels of thy wrath, and vnworthy to

pray vnto thee with our lying lips, and polluted mouthes, much lesse to ob∣tain our suites at thy hands. Yet (most mercifull Father) we beseech thee be fauou∣rable vnto vs, in shewing thy mercy vnto vs that are miserable: For, if thou O Lord, doest strictly marke what is done amisse among men, and wilt retaine our iniquitie: O Lord, who shall then be able to abide it, or to stand in thy sight? Verily no flesh, no not the iustest man that liueth this day vpon the face of the earth.

Therefore (O Lord) wee

returne to thee with our hearts, and come home with the Prodigall Sonne, although late at night, re∣penting the rude race wee haue runned, and being heartily sorrie for the lewd life we haue led: we pro∣strate our selues, and fall downe flat to the ground before the Throne of thy Grace; beseeching thee as our tender and pitifull Fa∣ther, to embrace vs with the armes of mercy and compassion, to turne away thy face from our lothsome sinnes, and blot out of thy remembrance our former offences. Reuiue (O Lord)

our sorrowfull & penitent spirits after the time of our try all; comfort our carefull and contrite hearts, for giue vs our trespasses: Turne to vs in thy mercy, which re∣turne to thee from sinne; direct our wayes hereafter in the workes of thy com∣mandements; increase our Faith, and make these thy iudgements and grie∣uous plagues, which thou hast worthily inflicted vp∣on vs for our wickednes, be a caueat and warning blow vnto vs hereafter, that wee neuer fall againe to our former folly, nor heape vpon our owne heads thy

wrath and vengeance, lest a worse thing happen vnto vs: but that this our cha∣sticement may worke in our mindes true and vn∣fained repentance: So that when thy heauenly hand shall slake from the execu∣tion of thy iust iudgement, when thy wrath is appea∣sed, and wee safely deliue∣red, acquitted, and dis∣charged of this misery wherein we are now wrap∣ped, we may indeed amend that which is amisse in vs, tread Satan vnder our feet, contemne the world, mor∣tifie the lusts of the flesh, crucifie the whole body of

sinne, and as new-borne Babes shew our selues hereafter more thankefull for thy benefits powred vp∣on vs in most plentifull manner: as for our health, wealth, tranquillitie and li∣bertie; the preaching of thy Gospell; the true know∣ledge of thy will reuealed in thy Word; the outward peace of our bodies, and the inward comfort of our soules: All which graces, with many moe, wee haue enioyed a long time in more ample manner, then any other People or Nati∣on vnder heauen. O Lord, wee humbly beseech thee,

continue thy good bles∣sings towards vs thine vn∣worthy & vnthankefull ser∣uants; & grant that thy ho∣ly Name may be so glori∣fied hereafter, in all our thoughts, words, and workes, during this transi∣torie life; that in the end when thou hast wrought thy will with vs, we may raigne with thee and al the holy company of heauen in the life euerlasting. Grant also (deare Father) relaxa∣tion, and release of thy plagues and punishments vnto this thine afflicted towne of and to all other countries, townes,

houses, and people which be in the like calamity and distresse, for the loue and precious Passion of Iesus Christ our Lord and Sa∣uiour, in whose blessed name wee bow the knees both of our soules and bo∣dies, and humbly prostrate our selues heere before the Throne of thy glorious Maiesty, praying vnto thee as he hath taught vs, and saying, Our Father, which art in Heauen, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ier. 15. 1.