London: Thomas Mabb, 1660.

O Most mercifull Lord God, and Lover of souls, who hast given Commandment to thy Priests to weep and to pray between the Porch and the Altar, and to cry, spare thy people, O Lord, spare them.

O most blessed Jesu, who art an everlasting Priest, and the great Shepheard and Bishop of our souls.

O most holy Spirit, who dost sanctifie and preserve us, building us up into an holy Temple, for thy self to dwell in.

O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three Persons, and one God, who delightest in the Conversion of sinners, and to see souls daily added unto thy Church.

Bless this whole Congregation, and have mercy upon this Parish, who are committed to my charge to take care over their souls.

Lord, I am unworthy of so great an honour, and too unfit for so great a Burthen, yet in obedience to thy Call, I have undertaken it; and I trust by thy Assistance, to be able to feed both thy sheep and thy Lambs.

Keep them always within thy Fold, that they may never wander nor go astray; preserve them from Wolves, though they should be set in the very midst of them.

Teach them to know thy voice, and to be obedient to thy Call. And when any of them shall straggle into the Wildernesse, yet then Lord, do not thou leave them in their own way; But be thou gratiously pleased to look after them; and when thou hast found them, give them a ready willingness to accept of thy shoulders, and to be carried home.

With thee there is Balm for their wounded consciences: and in thy side there is oyl for for their broken hearts.

Let thy staff, O Lord, be a support to the weak, and let thy rod instruct and correct the refractory.

And so bless them all in their bodies, in their souls, in their Estates, both with thy temporall and spirituall mercies, that, here in this life, they may live in Love, Peace, Plenty, and all Godliness; that so in the Life Eternall they may be made joynt Partakers of Glory, and raign for ever with the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

To whom, be all honour and glory, power and praise from this time forth and for evermore,

O Lord God, who of thy mercy hast bestowed upon us Preachers of Righteousnesse, and who for our benefit hast appointed the Priests lips to preserve knowledge.

O Lord Jesu Christ, who hast sent labourers into thy Vineyard to dress and trim it, and there to reach us fruit from the Tree of life.

O holy and blessed Spirit, who satest in the likenesse of fiery tongues upon the Apostles to inspire, thy Church, and of whose gift it is, that a succession of Ministers is continued among us even to this day.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, let me never but be thankfull to thee for all these thy Gifts.

Preserve me by thy Grace, that I may never be of the number of those who love to strive with the Priest. And that I may at no time deserve to be struck blind with the dust from a Disciples feet.

Keep me from usurping upon the Ministers Office, from defrauding him of his right, from maligning his person, from calumniating his Doctrine, and from abhorring to be reproved by him.

But grant, Lord, that I may readily hear and embrace the Message that thou art pleased to send by him, be it of mercy or of judgement, alwayes saying with old Eli, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth best in his own eyes.

And here among many other thy servants who wait upon thee at thine Altar, bless Lord, more particularly, that servant of thine to whom thou hast committed the charge of my soul.

O never let him sooth and flatter it, but (as I give him occasion) let him discipline and correct it.

Give him Grace and Courage to speak boldly in the name of Jesu.

And since thou art delighted with those that tremble at thy Word, Lord, make me one of their number that thou mayst delight in me.

Let me never stop mine ears, nor withdraw my self from hearing thy servant, who speaks home to my conscience.

But when he shall have wounded mine heart with the sword of thy Spirit, O give him power and wisdom to pour as well oyle as vinegar into those happy wounds.

Lastly, Grant Lord, I beseech thee; that he, by whose prayers and instructions, thou art graciously pleased to advance my spirituall good, may by thy grace and favour be protected by thy Providence, assisted by thy great mercies, comforted and relieved in all his necessities bodily and ghostly.

And let me never but thus pray for him, who in discharge of his duty both prays and weeps for me.

Lord, grant him deliverance from unreasonable and wicked men, who (with so much danger to himself) endeavours to preserve me from the power of the Devil.

That so at last both Priest and People, the Minister and his Congregation, the Shepheard and the whole Flock, may walk hand in hand to heaven, and be joyfully translated from the Church militant here, to the Church triumphant above through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,

O Most gracious Lord God, who hast promised to hear the Prayers of others for us, and our Prayers for others, but both theirs and ours, through the powerfull intercession of thy Son. Grant I beseech thee, that I may reap benefit by the Prayers of all such who are charitably mindfull of recommending me and my necessities to the Throne of Grace.

Particularly, touch both the heart and tongue of thy Servant--with a coal from thine Altar give him zeal and intention in all his Devotions. And since we are taught by thy holy Spirit, that the effectual servent Prayer of a Righteous man availeth much, grant him Lord, to be Righteous in all his ways, Faithfull in his Calling, and a sincere Example of holy life and godly Conversation; That so, those Prayers which he offers up for my self and others, may be the more acceptable in thy sight, and be the sooner graciously answered with thy Benediction and Blessing both upon our bodies and souls: and all for the precious bloodsheddings sake of thy beloved Son, and our blessed Mediator Jesus Christ,

Amen.

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