O cover my head in the day of battle; and in all times of danger, be thou my shield and buckler.And either keep the evil from me, or arm me for it, that I may not be ruined by it, but gain good out of it, and find bodily hurts making for the health of my soul and even the temporal death but a gate opened to eternal life. And seeing I go with my life in my hands, and am more exposed than other men to dangers and death, O make me more careful of my soul, more mindful of my latter end, and more diligent to put and keep myself in a preparation and readiness to die. And whether I prosper or miscarry in the attempts and enterprises wherein I am now concerned, O let my soul be ever precious in by sight, and safe in thy hands. Help me, O my supreme Commander, the great Captain of our Salvation,so to live, that I may find it the greatest gain to die : and let me go on, as Christ's faithful soldier, so conquering and to conquer the enemies of thy glory, and the hindrances of my own and others' salvation, that having overcome, I may sit down in thy kingdom, and triumph in thy sweetest love, and in thy heavenly joy and thy most glorious praises, world without end. Amen.

A Prayer for the Melancholy and Dejected.

MOST good and gracious Lord! thou know.

est our frame, and art a God full of compassion, to pity and relieve thy servants under their trouble and oppression. Look down we humbly pray thee, with thy wonted pity, and remember in tender mercy the work of thy hands, our disconsolate friend; this troubled soul, that is even distracted in suffering thy terrors; while thy wrath lies hard upon him, and all thy waves and billows are gone over him to dis

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turb his peace, and oppress his mind, and unfit him rightly to use his reason, or discharge his duty. O thou that speakest the winds and waves into obedience and calmness, settle and quiet his discomposed breast; speak peace and satisfaction to this troubled mind; and give him comfort and sweet repose, in the sense of thy pardon and love. Lord help his unbelief, and increase his faith, that he may not be faithless but believing. Though he now walk in darkness and has no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. And in the multitude of the thoughts and sorrows that he has in his heart, O let thy comforts come in to refresh his soul. Be thou pleased, Lord, to deliver and ease him of the load that lies upon his spirit; and let in the beam of thy heavenly light, to scatter and dispel all the clouds and darkness in which his mind is wrapt up. O direct to the means most proper for his help, and bless and prosper them so, that they may be efficacious to promote his recovery out of this low and doleful estate. Incline his ears to wholesome counsels, and fashion his heart to receive due impressions. O gracious Father! pity his frailty, and forgive his iniquity; and heal him, Lord, both in soul and body; rebuking his distemper so, that his disquieted soul may return to its rest. O raise him up and make him whole. Yea, make haste, O Lord, to shew mercy upon him, even for thy own mercy's sake in Jesus Christ, our blessed Saviour and Redeemer.Amen.

A Prayer for the Lunatic and Distracted.

2

LORD, the only wise God! thou givest understanding. and takest it away as thou pleasest; and thou art holy and righteous in all that ever

thou dost. Though the reason and meaning of many of thy works are unknown to us; yet still thou knowest well what thou hast to do; and we must be dumb, and open not our mouths, when it is thy doing. The stroke which thou hast laid upon thy poor creature, would be just upon any of us; and we must acknowledge it owing only to thy mercy that it is any better for us. But in tender compassion of his pitiable condition, we take upon us to beg thy merciful relief in his behalf. For thou, Lord, that givest sense and discretion, canst as easily renew them when impaired : and thou that madest thy servant out of nothing, canst also bring him to himself again, and help him to use his reason aright, as he ought.

O dispel the clouds in which now his soul is wrapped up, that he may come to a good understanding of himself, and the things of his peace; reduce and heal the crazed and broken faculties; or else settle and quiet them, pacify and compose them. Have pity we beseech thee, O Lord, upon him, and impute not unto him any thing that is now said or done amiss by him; but in mercy pass It by, as if it had not been said or done at all.

O that thou wouldst direct to some means for help in this case, and make him tractable to the use of remedies, and willing and ready to comply with the advice of his friends, till he shall be in better capacity to manage and help himself; and where no means will reach to work the cure, thou that canst open the doors which are barred against us, and art never at such a loss but thou knowest how to deliver; O reveal thy glorious arm, without means, to bring salvation from above; and do the work worthy of God, to command that deliverance which is out of our prospect to see effected; that thy name may have all the glory of such thy great and wonderful mercy in Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer for insensible Sinners.

LORD, the great Almighty God, who quickenest the dead, and callest those things that are not, as if they were: with thee nothing is impossible; but the things that resist all the skill and power of man, thy divine virtue and glorious operation, with the greatest facility, brings to pass. Thou, the living God, canst speak life to souls dead in trespasses and sins; and make even such as lie in the grave of all their habitual corruptions, hear the voice of the Son of God and live. It is the great work of thy eternal Spirit, Lord, to convince the world of sin; and to make inconsiderate, careless sinners to know themselves, and be concerned as they ought about the case of their souls. O that these poor insensible wretches, who have sinned themselves even past feeling, may find such mercy from the Lord and yet come to feel in themselves the irresistable force of thy hand. O that thou wouldst open their eyes, to see their case, and soften their hearts to bewail their sins; and turn their course to flee from the wrath to come! Blessed Lord, awaken them with thy terrors, before they be overtaken by thy judgments! O break in upon their souls by thy mighty convictions, to set them in bitterness for their sins; and let thy quick and powerful word pierce into their hearts, to make them cry and seek out what they must do to be saved!

O if they did but apprehend their case, and know their transgressions, that they remain so remorseless and unconcerned, as if nothing were amiss with them, and that can indulge themselves in pleasure and mirth, as if they were in the happiest condition, would soon be struck down into the deepest heaviness and consternation, refusing to be comforted; and go mourning all the day long, yea, even roar for the disquietness

of their hearts. O God of all grace, be thou pleased in mercy to shew such seeming severity; to write bitter things against them, and make them confess their former iniquities; and to feel now the weight and horror of all their sins, that they may not feel it eternally when past remedy. Direct and empower thy messengers, Lord, to speak home to their conviction, crying aloud, and not sparing to shew them their transgressions and their sins. Yea, make thy word in thy servants' mouths as fire, to enflame and rouse the consciences of such drowsy secure sinners, that they may come to perceive what a forlorn, lost condition they are in; and be restless in themselves till coming unto Christ, labouring and heavy laden, under the load of their sins, in him they may find rèst for their souls. O thou Almighty God! do marvellous things, worthy of thyself in taking away that which blinds the minds, and hardens the hearts of such stupid creatures; and bring them out of the worst lethargy and deadness, to understand them. selves, and seek after God, and to take and to follow the way of peace with thee, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The condemned Malefactor's Prayer.

UT of the depths do I cry to thee, O Lord! Lord, hear my voice: let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who should stand! but there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Therefore I wait for the Lord; my soul does wait, and in thy word do I hope. Though my sins have found me out, and brought me to shame,and they are heinous beyond expression, and the thought and remembrance of them fills me with horror and