ing Sleep, as may fit us for the Duties of the Day following. And, O Lord, make us ever mindful of that Time when we shall lie down in the Duft; and grant us Grace always to live in fuch a State, that we may never be afraid or unfit to die; but that whether we live, we may live unto thee; or whether we die, we may die unto thee; that fo living and dying we may be thine; through the Merits and Satisfaction of thy Son Jefus Chrift; in whofe prevailing Name and comprehenfive Words, we continue to pray as he hath taught us. Our Father, &c. Another Morning Prayer for a Family. O MOST Glorious and eternal God, thou art righteous in all thy Ways, and holy in all thy Works, infinite in Mercy and Goodness to all that call upon thee in Truth; and haft promised that where two or three are gathered together in thy Name, thou wilt be in the Midft of them; look down we beseech Thee, upon us thy unworthy Servants, who are here before Thee, to prefent unto thy Divine Majefty the Morning Sacrifice of our unfeigned Praises, acknowledging that in Thee we live, and move, and have our Being; and that from thy thy bountiful Hand we have received all the good Things we enjoy, and by thy good Providence are defended from the Evils we deferve: We defire, O Lord, in an humble Senfe of thy great Goodness towards us, to blefs and praife thy holy Name; particularly we adore thy Glorious Majefty, for preferving us this Night paft, for raifing us up in Health and Safety, and for giving us this Opportunity of calling upon thy Name. Give us Grace, O Lord, we humbly befeech Thee, to make a right Ufe and Improvement of thefe and all thy other Mercies; and grant that we may henceforward live as becomes the Gofpel of Chrift, by denying all Ungodlinefs and Worldly Lufts, and live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent World. And because we are not able of ourselves to please Thee, vouchfafe us, we beseech Thee, the Affiftance of thy Holy Spirit, enabling us to withstand all the Enemies and Hindrances of our Salvation. Enlighten our Understandings, that we may know Thee; fanctify our Affections, that we may love Thee; and put thy Fear into our Hearts that we may dread to offend Thee. Convince us thoroughly, O Lord, of the great Evil of Sin, that we may endeavour in D. 3 all all Things to obey thy bleffed Will, and to walk before Thee in Holinefs and Righteoufnefs all our Days. Wean our Affections, O Lord, from the Things of this World, and whatever our State and Condition may be here, give us uš Grace therewith to be content. In our Paffage through this Life, and our manifold Concerns about it, grant that in doing our Duty, we may make Thee our only Stay and Cofidence, our Hope and our Trust, cafting all our Care upon Thee, and entirely refigning ourfelves to thy good Pleasure in all Things. Let our chief Aim and Endeavour be, to fecure the Salvation of our Souls, and to provide against that Time, when all earthly Comforts fhall vanish away. We humbly commend ourselves, and all our Affairs this Day, to thy Protection and Bleffing. Be with us in our Going out and Coming in, that no Casualty or evil Accident may come near to hurt us. Give us fuch a Measure of Health and other temporal Bleffings, as Thou feeft best and most expedient for us; but above all Things, give us thy Grace and Favour, that our Lives may be holy and comfortable here, and our Eternal State happy and glorious with Thee hereafter, through the Merits, and for the Sake of thy dear Son Jefus Chrift our Lord; in the fulleft Senfe of whofe Words, we recommend the Wants and Neceffities of all Mankind, together with our own. Our Father, &c. Another Evening Prayer for a Family. O MOST Glorious and ever blessed Lord God, who inhabiteft Eternity, and dwelleft in that Light which no mortal Eye can approach; we thy finful Creatures kneeling before thee, acknowledge we are not worthy to appear in thy Prefence, nor fo much as to lift up our Eyes to that Place of Purity, were thou dwelleft. O Lord, though we are thus unworthy to fpeak unto Thee, yet fo infinite and condefcending is thy Goodness as to encourage our Addreffes to Thee, by many gracious Promises of thy Favour and Acceptance; with humble Confidence then, O Lord, we prefume to approach the Throne of thy Grace, humbly befeeching Thee, in the Name, and for the Sake of thy beloved Son to be merciful unto us in the Pardon and Forgiveness of all our Sins. We acknowledge, O Lord, that we have acted foolishly and wickedly, by doing those Things which Thou haft forbidden, and by neglecting to do thofe Things which Thou haft commanded: O let that Mercy of thine, which has fpared us fo long, lead us to Repentance, that we may forfake our evil Ways, and turn unto Thee the Lord our God. Give us Grace, O Lord, feriously to confider the great Work we have to do, and the Uncertainty of that Time which Thou haft given us to perform it in, that we may not be fo foolish as to confume our Days in Vanity and Folly, in gratifying our corrupt Inclinations, and indulging our vicious Appetites. Shew us the Foulnefs and Deformity of Sin, and poffefs our Minds with fuch a lively Senfe of those dreadful Threatenings Thou haft denounced against it, that we may abhor and forfake every evil Way, and give up ourselves to the Love and Obedience of thy Commandments, making it the great Study and Bufinefs of our Lives to ferve and please Thee in all Things; fo fhall we daily grow in Grace, and be continu |