Certain devout prayers of Mr. Bolton upon solemn occasions. PublishedCertaine devout prayers of Mr. Bolton upon solemne occasions. Published

A Prayer upon a solemn occasion.

A Prayer upon a solemne occasion.

O Eternal God, most holy and most Glorious, which dwellest in the highest heavens, and with righteousness and truth swayest the Sceptre of the whole world, thou that art unto the wicked and rebellious wretches a terrible Judge and a consuming ⟨p. 2⟩fire, but to the humble and repentant sinners a strong tower of defence, and their exceeding great reward. We the most miserable and wretched of all thy creatures, though the most noble by creation; for they in their kinds and several conditions do thee honour and service, but we whom thou hast placed in this world for a more singular and extraordinary glorifying of thee; have not only made our selves more vile then the basest creatures, and more senseless in thy ⟨p. 3⟩service then the beasts that perish; but have even combined with Satan, with hell and with all the powers of darkness, to blaspheme and dishonour thy great name, to profane thy Sabbaths, to break all thy holy Laws & Commandments. O LORD we thus sinful and unworthy, are here ashamed and confounded in thy presence; for our iniquities are increased over our heads, and our trespasses are grown up unto the heavens, so that if now in thy just judgement, ⟨p. 4⟩thou shouldst come against us, as we have many times, and do daily most justly provoke thee, it had been far better for us we had never been borne; Satan would challenge us for his, we should never see thy face again, nor the heavens, nor the earth, nor all the goodness which thou hast prepared for man. From the foul pollution of Original sin, which hath universally infected and possest all the powers and parts both of our souls and ⟨p. 5⟩bodies as from a filthy puddle, have issued all kinds of impurities, many works of darkness and fearful transgressions, both in our thoughts, words and actions. Much profaneness and hardness of heart, pride and hypocrisy, contempt of the power of godliness and godly men, a senseless neglect of thy word and judgements, of the way to Heaven and the salvation of our own souls. Even the best of us before our calling, wearied our selves in the vain