The peace and joy of the soul procured and preserved

PRAYERS FOR Procuring and Preserving THE Peace and Joy of the Soul.

The Third Part.

ASsist us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications and prayers; and dispose the way of thy servants towards the at∣tainment of everlasting Salvation,

that among all the changes and chances of this mortal Life, we may ever be defended by thy most graci∣ous and ready help, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

ALmighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker of all things, judge of all men; we ac∣knowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we from time to time most grievously have committed, by thought, word and deed, against thy divine Majesty, provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our mis-doings, the remembrance of them is grievous unto us, the burden of them is in∣tolerable. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us most merciful Father, for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ sake, forgive us all that is past, and grant that we may ever

hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life, to the honour and glory of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

O God merciful Father, that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of such as be sorrowful, mercifully assist our prayers, that we make before thee in allour troubles and adversities, when∣soever they oppress us; and graci∣hear us, that those evils which the craft and subtilty of the Devil or Man worketh against us, be brought to nought, and by the providence of thy goodness they may be di∣spersed, that we thy servants being hurt by no tryals, or temptations, persecutions, or afflictions; may e∣vermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

WE humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities, and for the glory of thy name, turn from us all those evils, that we most righ∣teously have deserved: and grant, that in all our troubles, we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honour and glory, through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ,

Amen.

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; give unto thy servants that peace which the World cannot give, that both our hearts may be set to obey thy com∣mandments, and also, that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness, through the

merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour,

Amen.

O God, who art the Author of peace, and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom; defend us thy humble ser∣vants in all Assaults of our enemies, that we surely trusting in thy de∣fence, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Je∣sus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

LORD of all power and might, who art the Author and giver of all good things; graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, en∣crease in us true Religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

O Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost pro∣mise, that so among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true Joys are to be found, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

ALmighty and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in Heaven and Earth; mercifully hear the supplications of thy people, and grant us thy peace all the days of our life, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

O God, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason

of the frailty of our nature we can∣not always stand upright, grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

ALmighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our In∣firmities, and in all our dangers and necessities, stretch forth thy right Hand to help and defend us, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

ALmighty God, who seest that we have no power of our selves to help our selves; keep us both out∣wardly in our Bodies, and inwardly in our Souls, that we may be defend∣ed from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all e∣vil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

WE beseech thee Almighty God, mercifully to look up on thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and Soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

ALmighty God, who through thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ ha••t overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; we humbly beseech thee, that as by thy special grace preventing us, thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help, we may bring the same to good effect, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world with∣out end,

Amen.

O Lord, from whom all good things do come, grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same, through Jesus Christ,

Amen.

O God, who didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy holy Spirit; grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoyce in his holy comfort, through the me∣rits of Jesus Christ our Saviour,

Amen.

O Lord, who never failest to help and govern them whom thou dost bring up in thy steadfast fear and love; keep us we beseech thee under the protection of thy good providence, and make us to

have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

O Lord, we beseech thee mer∣cifully to hear us, and grant that we to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may by thy mighty aid be defended and comfor∣ted in all dangers and adversities, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

LORD, we pray thee, that thy grace may always prevent and ••ollow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

LORD, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh and the Devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee the

only God, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

O Lord, forasmuuch as with∣out thee we are not able to please thee; mercifully grant that thy holy Spirit may in all things di∣rect and rule our hearts, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

O Almighty and most merci∣ful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us we beseech thee from all things that may hurt us: that we being ready both in body and soul, may chearfully accom∣plish those things that thou wouldest have done, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faith∣ful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet

mind, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

ALmighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear, than we to pray, and to give more than either we desire or deserve; pour down upon us the a∣bundance of thy mercy, forgiving us those things whereof our Consci∣ence is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not wor∣thy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,

Amen.

WE do not presume to come unto thee most merciful Lord, trusting in our own righte∣ousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under the Table of thy meanest servants. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to

have mercy on those that fear thee; and whose promise is, to forgive our iniquities, and to remember our sins no more; to heal our back-slid∣ings, and love us freely, through him who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree: suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust, to bring sinners unto thee: who hath laid on him the iniquity of us all; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justifi∣cation; and is entred into Heaven it self, now to appear in the presence of God for us, even Jesus who deli∣vereth us from the wrath to come. O let us enjoy the comfort, by un∣feignedly believing the certainty of so great salvation, and living in the joyful sense and praise of it, until we come eternally to sing Blessing,* 1.1

and Honour, and Glory, and Pow∣er be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever, that loved us, and hath wash∣ed us from our sins in his own blood; and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father, and our Father, to his God, and our God; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever,

Amen.

O Thou who hast extended thy mercy to so many and so great sinners as we find upon re∣cord; we believe thou who art infi∣nite in mercy, hast not less in store for us, than thou hadst for them; but so loved the world that thou gavest thy only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. O look down upon us in much mer∣cy, with the pity and tender com∣passions* 1.2

of a Father; deal with us with the loving kindness of a Savi∣our; with the favour of one that was sent, and came into the world, not to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. O pardon all our past sins, defections, frailties; supply the wants, weaknessess, imperfections of our sin∣cere obedience, with a gracious ac∣ceptance; support, relieve us under all the tryals, sorrows, temptations of this World; and enable us to look up to thee in peace, and with a com∣fortable well grounded confidence of being at last received into thine e∣verlasting Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

O Thou that dwellest in the high and holy place; with him also that is of a contrite and hum∣ble spirit, to revive the spirit of the* 1.3

humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones; pardon and speak peace unto us through him who is our peace, hath loved us, and given himself for us: justifie us free∣ly by thy grace through the re∣demption that is in Jesus Christ, whom thou hast set forth to be a propitiation for our sins. O let us not distrust the sufficiency, and acceptance of that sacrifice for all our offences, which was made for the sins of the whole world; scatter and disperse the clouds and darkness of our minds: clear up in us just ap∣prehensions of thee, and of our selves. Free us from all intangling scruples, dejecting cares, disquieting doubts and fears. Ease, quiet, compose our minds by thy holy Spirit, the Comforter, by a firm belief and hope of thy free grace and mercy to all true penitents, and by a stedfast* 1.4

reliance upon thy truth, thy faith∣ful promises, in and through Je∣sus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

HAVE mercy upon us, O God, according to thy loving kind∣ness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out all our transgressions: wash us throughly from our iniquities, and cleanse us from our sins. Create in us clean hearts, and renew a right spirit within us. Cast us not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from us. Restore unto us the joy of thy salvation, and uphold us with thy free spirit. Make us to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce. Make thy face to shine upon thy ser∣vants, O save us for thy mercy sake. give us comfort, and sure confidence in thee: defend us from the danger, and fear of the enemy, and keep us in perpetual peace and safety,

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

BE thou, O Lord, our strong hold, whereunto we may always resort, save thy servants, who put their trust in thee. Send us help from thy holy place, and evermore mightily defend us, from the evil one, and every evil thing. Tread down Satan under our Feet; let the enemy have no advantage of us, nor approach to hurt us. Strength∣en us against evil suggestions, temp∣tations, and all our spiritual enemies. And grant, that by thy help and goodness, we may be defended, as∣sisted, and comforted in all our dan∣gers and adversities, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

GIVE ear, O Shepherd of Is∣rael, who out of thy tender care and compassion hast promised to feed thy Flock like a Shepherd;

to gather the Lambs with thy arm, to carry them in thy bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. In much mercy consider our weakness, frailties, and infirmi∣ties, who are thy people, and sheep of thy pasture. O forgive all our past errings and wandrings from thee, for his sake, who laid down his life for his sheep, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, to take away the sins of the world: and for the future, lead us in the paths of righteousness for thy name sake, to endless refreshment, ease and rest. By patient continu∣ance in well-doing and suffering thy will (which is always best) let us seek for and obtain glory and honour, and immortality; eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord,* 1.5

Amen.

O Thou that art the God of our strength, send out thy light and thy truth into our souls, let them lead and bring us unto thy holy Hill, thy dwelling place. Let no distrust of thy merciful accept∣ance deprive us of the comforts of thy ways of pleasantness, thy paths of peace. Let us find and make it appear, that there is more in Religi∣on than a bare name for our support: that our Rock is not their Rock, our enemies themselves being judge. When we are ready to say, our foot slippeth, let thy mercy O Lord hold us up: and in the multitude of our thoughts within us, thy comforts refresh, delight our Souls. Keep us from murmuring or repining a∣gainst thee; from entertaining any hard, unbecoming thoughts of thee; let us ever say, good is the word of the Lord, be it unto us even as he will. Give us the guidance, the sup∣••orts, the comforts of thy holy Spi∣rit. At what time we are afraid,

let us trust in thee, cast our burden, all our care upon thee, because thou carest for us, and hast promised then to sustain us; injoyned us to be careful for nothing, but in every thing, by prayer and sup∣plication, with thanksgiving (for all thy mercies) to make our re∣quest known unto thee; and let thy peace which passeth all un∣derstanding, keep our hearts and minds, in a sense of thy love and favour, and acceptance, through Je∣sus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

O Fountain, Father of mercies; God of all comfort, and con∣solation; quench not the smoaking Flax, break not the bruised Reed; revive, maintain, encrease and strengthen the smallest degrees and beginnings of grace in us, until we have overcome our doubts and fears, and all our spiritual enemies. When we are apt to be cast down, deje∣cted, and mistrustful of our selves,

let us not cast away our confidence in thee; not mistrust the God of truth; not call in question thy free promises of grace and mercy; not cast off the hope of thy gracious ac∣ceptance; not shut the door of mer∣cy upon our selves, which thou hast opened to all the world. Be our sup∣port and stay under all heaviness and dejection of spirit; stand by us in the hour of trouble, tryal, temptation, death: Let not thy mer∣cy, nor our faith fail us; when our flesh and our hearts faileth us, be thou the strength of our hearts, and our portion for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

REmember us, O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit us with thy salvation; that we may see the good of thy chosen; that we may rejoyce in the gladness of thy ser∣vants;

that we may glory with thine inheritance. Let perfect love cast out fear: And a comfortable hope of thy mercy, be as an Anchor of our Souls, both sure and stedfast; that we may be never driven from it or thee, by any outward or in∣ward storms or tempests. Let no temptation befal us, but such as is common to men, incident to thy Children: suffer us not to be temp∣ted above what we are able, but with the temptation give an happy Issue, make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear and over∣come through him who was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin, and hath overcome all his and our enemies; who was dead and is alive for evermore, making intercession for us; and hath the Keys of Hell and Death: To whom with thy blessed Majesty and* 1.6

holy Spirit, be all honour, glory, and praise, now and ever,

Amen.

UNTO God's gracious mercy and protection, we commit our selves. The good Lord bless us, and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us, and give us peace, now and ever∣more, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Jer. 31. 34. Hos. 14. 4. 1 Pet. 2. 24. & 3. 18. Isa. 53. 6. Rom. 4. 25. Heb. 9. 24. 1 Thessa. 1. 10.
• * 1.2

  Rev. 5. 13. & 1. 5, 6. John 20. 17.
• * 1.3

  John 3. 16, 17.
• * 1.4

  Eph. 2. 14. & 5. 2. Rom. 3. 24, 25.
• * 1.5

  Isa. 40. 11.
• * 1.6

  Heb. 4. 15.