soever loves Thee cannot perish. Hear the prayer of Thy servant, and relieve my sorrow, and sanctify my desires, and accept me in the Son of Thy love and of Thy desires, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

A prayer to be used by an afflicted wife, in behalf of a

vicious husband.

I. O ETERNAL Father, Thou preserver of men, Thou great lover of souls, who didst send Thy holy Son to die, that mankind might be redeemed, and sin might be destroyed: Thou knowest how intolerable a thing it is that a soul should to eternal ages be encircled with Thy wrath, and the indignation of a mighty and an angry God; and therefore dost love to do miracles of mercy, because Thou lovest not that a sinner should perish. Be pleased to give Thy handmaid leave to present her humble desires in behalf of a sinner, one sinner for another, the miserable for him that is ready to perish. Lord, look down in mercy upon my husband; snatch him from the jaws of hell; suffer him not to perish in his sin, but open his eyes with the light of Thy word and of Thy spirit, that he may espy his danger, that he may behold the deformity of his sins, [the injuriousness of his actions, the folly of his pleasures,] the iniquity of his vows.

II. Cleanse his hands and heart from all unrighteousness, [from blood-guiltiness, from rapine, from violence, from cruelty,] O Lord, and purify his soul and body from all impurity, [from all intemperance, from the violence and fury of passion,] giving him a perfect repentance, and a perfect pardon: and if it be Thy will, let me also some way or other co-operate towards the recovery of his precious. soul; and be pleased to remember the sufferings of Thy handmaid, not that he may receive evil, but that I may find good from Thy gracious hands, in the day of recompense, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If she have escaped any violence intended against her by his malice or passion, then add this prayer of thanksgiving.

O GOD, my God and Father, Thou hast strangely preserved and rescued me from evil, Thou hast made decrees in heaven for my safety and preservation, and for the glory of Thy own name Thou hast diverted the arrow that was directed against me. What am I, O Lord, and what can I do, or what have I done, that Thou shouldst do this for me? I am, O God, a miserable sinner, and I can do nothing without a mighty grace; and I have done nothing by myself but what I am ashamed of, and yet I have received great mercies, and miracles of providence. I see, O God, I see that Thy goodness is the cause and the measure of all my hopes, and all my good: and upon the confidence and greatness of that goodness, I humbly

beg of Thy sacred majesty to keep and defend me from all evil by Thy wise providence; to lead me into all good by the conduct of Thy divine spirit; and where I have done amiss, give me pardon; and where I have been mistaken, give me pity; and where I have been injured, give me Thy favour, and a gracious exchange; that I may serve Thee here with diligence and love, and hereafter may rejoice with Thee, and love Thee as I desire to love Thee, and as Thou deservest to be loved, even with all the powers and degrees of passion and essence, to eternal ages, in the inheritance of Jesus, whom I love, for whom I will not refuse to die, in whom I desire to live and die, to whom, with Thee O gracious Father, and the holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, love and obedience, for ever and ever.

Amen.

A mother's prayer for her children.

I. MOST gracious and eternal God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of men and angels, Father of mercies, and God of all comforts; Thou hast promised to be a Father to a thousand generations of them that love and fear Thee; be Thou a God and a Father to me, and the children which Thou hast given me. Enable me, O Lord, to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and in the fear of God, to the praise of Thy holy name. O give me Thy grace and favour, that I may instruct them with dili gence and meekness, govern them with prudence and holiness, provide for them useful employments and competent provisions of life and comfort, leading them in the paths of religion and justice, by example and precepts of holiness; never provoking them to wrath, never indulging them in their follies, never conniving at an unworthy action and that all my children may be Thine, O preserve them in Thy favour, or take them away from hence while they are. If Thou pleasest, let them live to a full age, but secure to them a full measure of piety and holiness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

II. To this end give them grace to obey their parents, that doing the duty, they may receive the promise: preserve them from sin and shame, from youthful follies, and youthful crimes. Sanctify them throughout in their bodies, and souls, and spirits; that their thoughts may be pure and holy, not displeasing or misbecoming the eye of Him who is the searcher of hearts: let their words be true, prudent and ingenuous, seasoned with grace, and apt to minister grace unto the hearers; let all their actions in their whole life be such as become the servants of Jesus, holy and useful, that they may not be burdens to the public, or to their family; but pleasing Thee, and doing good to others, they may increase in the love of God, and in favour with men, and may have the portion of the meek and humble in this world, and of the pure and merciful in the world to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The widow's prayer.

I.

ETERNAL God, most gracious Lord and my most merciful Father, Thou art my refuge and my hope, my sanctuary and my rock, my guardian and protector all my days. I have offended Thee and Thou hast smitten me, I have deserved very much evil, and Thou hast corrected me with the gentle visitation of a father's rod: and though Thy hand is heavy and Thy rod presseth me sore by reason of my own weakness and infirmities, yet when I consider how little I suffer in respect of what I have deserved, I cannot but adore Thy goodness, and delight in Thy mercies, and run for help and comfort, support and conduct, to that hand which smites me. O my God, give me patience under Thy afflicting hand; for my impatience I fear hath provoked Thee to anger, and hath doubled my own calamity; and since my duty is my proper cure, and will make Thy hand easy and Thy anger little; give Thy servant a quiet and a resigned, a humble and a meek spirit, that I may not become my own tormentor, and my sin may not be my own punishment.

II.

O MY gracious Lord, do to me what seemeth good in Thy own eyes; I am like clay in the hands of the potter, and what am I that I should repine against the acts of Thy providence and dispensation? Behold, O God, Thy handmaid is but a worm before Thee; shall dust and ashes repine against God? Thou art just and righteous in all Thy ways, and though Thou hast afflicted me sore, yet blessed be Thy holy name, I have not lost my hope, and I can yet pray, and I will trust in Thee though I die; only be Thou pleased to let this Thy heavy hand efform in me the effects of grace, and conform me to the likeness of the holy Jesus my dearest Saviour; that I may so bear the cross that I may never displease Him, nor dishonour the excellent name of a Christian by which I am called.

III.

I AM, O my God, by the means of Thy heavy hand not only under the discipline of a child, but have also obtained a new title to Thy especial providence and protection; for Thou art the patron of the poor, the helper of the friendless, the father of the fatherless, and the defender of the widows; and if these be the effects of Thy anger, and that when Thou smitest us Thy very strokes are healing, and Thy displeasure is medicinal, what shall Thy servant expect will be the effect of Thy pardon and loving kindness? But yet, O my Lord, help me in my duty, and though I have failed in all my relations hitherto by my impatience and murmur, by my

careless comportment and undutiful behaviour towards Thee; yet now let my sad state of widowhood be a state of holiness and repentance, of devotion and a severe religion. Let me recollect my years in bitterness, and my soul in sorrow for my sins; let me have no affections for the things of this world; but let my hope and all my joy, my desires and my conversation be in heaven, and all my employment and care be how I may enjoy Thee in holy and spiritual unions and adherences.

IV.

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps: I have often resolved to live innocently, and I have often broken all my holy purposes; and I cannot of myself think one good thought as of myself, but my sufficiency is of Thee; Thou art my strength: O preserve Thy servant in my single state of widowhood, that I may never have any thought of change till the day of my great change shall come be Thou, O God, a covering of the eyes unto Thy handmaid; let me have no loves but Thine, no affections but for Thy service; and since Thou hast broken in pieces that holy band of conjugal society which Thy holy ordinance' did tie between my dear [lord and] husband and Thy handmaid, give me Thy grace dearly to preserve his memory, to retain the impresses and remembrances of that affection, and to entertain no new ones; but wholly employ my time, my estate, and all my powers in [bringing up my children* in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, in making fair and fitting provisions for them, in giving them good example] in bearing the burden of the Lord sweetly, in prayers and fastings, in alms and piety, in reading and meditating, in spiritual and sacramental communions, that when the work of my life is done, I may find pardon and favour and acceptance at the hands of my Lord, and a portion among Thy saints and servants.

If she have

children, insert this within the

columns.

If there be children of both sexes, let the following portion be

added.

V.

O MY God, now Thy servant hath taken upon me to speak to my Lord, let not my Lord be angry, nor reject the prayer of His servant, interceding and praying for my children, the pledges of my dear [lord and] husband: preserve them, O God, in the strictest duty and services to Thyself: O be Thou their God and Father, let Thy providence be their portion, Thy service their employment, Thy angels their guards; keep them so by Thy preventing and Thy restraining grace that they may not by their own sins provoke Thee to anger and jealousy, and let not the sins of their forefathers be visited upon them in Thy anger and displeasure: Thou lovest to

shew mercy, and Thou delightest in the affections of Thy loving kindness, and Thou art displeased when our vilenesses constrain Thee to pour down Thy judgments on us. O be pleased to grant that they, living in holy obedience to Thee, may feel a perpetual stream of mercy refreshing and supporting them, and let them not bear another's burden, for Thou art just and merciful, righteous and true, and hast sentenced every one to bear their own iniquity.

VI.

GREAT God of mercy, heal all the breaches of this family, preserve and increase the remaining comforts and advantages of it, support the estate, renew Thy favour to it, and perpetually pour down Thy blessings upon it; for the light of Thy countenance and Thy gracious influence doth preserve and bless, support and nourish, honour and advance, persons, families, and kingdoms. Bless my eldest son; give him an obedient and a loving spirit, a provident and a wise heart, a worthy and a pious comportment, a blessed [and an honourable] posterity: to my younger sons give health and holiness, wisdom and fair fortunes, the love of God and good men: to my daughters give Thy perpetual grace and favour, that they may live in honour and a severe chastity, free from sin and shame, from temptation and a snare, and let their portion be in the blessing, in the love and service of God. Let them live in the favour of God and man, useful to others, an honour to their family, a comfort to all their relatives and friends, and servants to Thy divine majesty.

VII.

PRESERVE me Thy servant from all evil, lead me into all good; change my sorrows into comforts, my infirmity into spiritual strength; take all iniquity from me, and let Thy servant never depart from Thee. I am Thine, O save me; I am Thine, sanctify me and preserve me for ever; that neither life nor death, health nor sickness, prosperity nor adversity, weakness within nor cross accidents without, may ever separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen, blessed Jesus, Amen.