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A Prayer for Diligence.

Lmighty God, who in the midst of justice didft remember mercy towards thy finful and difobedient creature man, and for his tranfgreffion haft commanded him to till the earth, and to provide for his own fubfiftence by his own labour and industry, when thou mighteft juftly have punished him eternally; enable me to fulfil thy command; and with care, diligence and honeft industry, grant that I may provide for myself and those committed to my charge, by improving the talent thou haft intrufted me with; that I may never be caft out as an unprofitable fervant. But more especially, help me, O Lord! to seek after thy kingdom and thy righteoufnefs, that I may make my calling and election fure, by a patient continuance in well-doing, and fo labouring in thy work here, that I may, not for the merit of my own works, but for the merits of Jefus Chrift, reft from my labours in thy kingdom hereafter. Amen.

A Prayer for the Love of our Neighbour.

Lmighty Lord and most merciful God, whose mercy

is over all thy works, fuffer me to exclude none from my charity, who are the objects of thy mercy and tenderness; but let me treat all my neighbours with the love and goodwill, which is due to thy fervants, and to thy children by adoption and grace. And as thou haft required this mark of our love to thee; let no temptation expofe me to ingratitude, or make me forfeit thy loving kindness, which is better than life itself but grant that I may affift all my brethren with prayers and good intentions, where I cannot reach them by works of mercy. Let me be always ready to embrace all occafions that may administer to their happiness, by affifting the needy, protecting the oppreffed, inftructing the ignorant, and reproving the wicked, prophane and evil doer, in fuch a manner, that I may look upon the defects and frailties of my neighbour, as if they were my own, and fo hide and conceal them; fo that making thy love to me, O God! the pattern

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of my love to them, Imay above all things endeavour to promote their eternal falvation; and thus adorning thy holy gofpel by doing good according to my power and capacity, I may at last be received into the joy of my Lord, and fing everlasting praises to the Lamb that was flain, and fitteth on the throne, Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Charity.

Lord, who haft taught us, that all our doings without fend thy Holy Gholt, pour into my heart that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whofoever liveth, is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jefus Chrift's fake. Amen.

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A Prayer for true Piety and Regeneration.

Ord of all power and might, who art the Author and Giver of all good things, graft in my heart the love of thy name, increase in me true religion, nourish me with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep me in the fame; fo that being regenerate and made thy child by adoption and grace, I may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit, through Jefus Chrift our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the fame Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

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A Prayer for a right ufe of our Time.

Oft gracious God! I adore thy infinite patience, which

hath not cut me off in the midft of my follies and fins. I extol thy wonderful goodness, which hath fpared me thus long, and favoured me with a longer time to repent of my tranfgreffions. Grant me therefore, gracious Lord, that I may no longer abuse that precious treafure, which thou haft allotted me, as a proper feason to make my calling and election fure, and to fecure that happiness, which is great in itself, and infinite in its continuance. Call me from all those vain amusements, thofe trifling entertainments and cruel diverfions,

verfions, which have robbed me of many valuable hours, and have endangered the lofs of my immortal foul in the day of judgment. Oh then! teach me fo to number my days, that I may apply my heart unto wisdom; that I may no longer wafte my time in ease and pleasure, in unprofitable studies,' and more unprofitable conversation; but grant that by dili. gence and honefty in my calling, by conftancy and fervour in my devotions, by moderation and temperance in my pleafures and recreations, by justice and charity in all my words and actions, and by keeping a conscience void of offence both towards God and man, I may be able to give a good account thereof when fummoned before the judgment-feat of Chrift, when I pray that I may be accepted in and through the merits of the fame thy Son Jefus Chrift my only mediator and advocate. Amen.

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A Prayer for the care of the Soul

Ive me grace, O Lord! that I may prefer the good of my foul before all things, continually remembering that altho' it cannot die, it may fink into a state of endless punishment. Oh! therefore, free me from the charms and flatteries of this world, left they diffolve me into luxury, excefs, and other unlawful pleasures: neither permit the terrors or torments that wicked men are able to inflict, shake my conftancy, or interrupt my perfeverance in the way of thy laws. For fince thou haft fufficiently provided for my happiness, even here below, by a lawful enjoyment of thofe good creatures, with which thou haft fupplied me, I renounce whatever must be purchased at the forfeiture of thy favour; and I am refolved to facrifice the cafe and pleasure, and all the comforts this world can afford, rather than offend thee,

my God. This is my beft and happy choice, which I make in thy prefence, and I already tafte of thy goodness, who hast given me peace of confcience, calm and eafy paffions, contentment in my station, fubmiffion to thy will, entire dependance on thy providence, and tranfporting hopes of immortal life, by the means of thy Holy Spirit. Therefore I will proceed in the strength that thou haft given me, that being

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found steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, I may know that my labour is not in vain in the Lord; through Jefus Chrift our Saviour and Redeemer. A

men.

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A Prayer for the government of the Tongue.

Overn my lips, O Lord! that I offend not in my tongue; and shut out fuch difcourfes as border the leaft upon evil speaking, lying and flandering; that it may never fpread any evil reports concerning my neighbour's reputation; nor make the deformity of his body, or the weakness of his mind, the fubject of my mirth and raillery. Oh! grant that I may never be fo weak as to encourage backbiters, either by listening to their infinuations, or by giving credit to their wicked inventions: But as thou haft given me a tongue that I might praise thee, and influence others to bless thy holy name, direct my words chiefly to the promoting of thy glory; either by affwaging the pains of the afflicted, vindicating the injured reputation of my neighbour, uniting the minds of those that are at variance, inftructing those that know thee not enough, entertaining all the world, O God! with thy greatness and goodness, inflaming all hearts with thy love, and provoking them to praise thee, to bless thee, and to glorify thee; that I may one day mingle my praises with those of thy elect tranflated to the man fions of eternal bliss, thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

A Prayer during the forty Days of Lent.

Eternal God! whose bleffed Son, for our fakes, did fast

forty days and forty nights; give me grace to use such abstinence, during this feafon, in which we commemorate the fame, and by thy church is dedicated to the exercise of repentance, that my flesh being fubdued to the fpirit, my mind may be the better difpofed to approach thee in prayer and fafting, and all other christian virtues. Accuftom me by felf-denial to bring my body into fubjection, and to punish all thofe exceffes I have been guilty of in the use of those things, which thou madeft very good. Create in me, O God !a con

trite heart, and renew a right spirit within me, that I may heartily bewail my fins, and have a godly forrow unto falvation, not to be repented of; that confeffing and forfaking my fins, I may be entirely converted unto thee, through Jefus Christ my Redeemer. Amen.

A Prayer to be used on fafting Days.

God, the Father, who for our fakes didft fend thy Son

into this world, and in our nature didst appoint him to faft forty days and forty nights; give me grace to ufe fuch abstinence, that my flesh being fubdued to the Spirit, I may ever obey thy godly motions, in righteousness and true holinefs, to thy honour and glory, and the falvation of my own foul, through the merits and mediation of the fame thy Son Jefus Chrift, who with thee, and the Holy Ghost, liveft and reigneft one God, world without end. Amen.

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A Prayer for true Mortification.

Lmighty God, who madeft thy bleffed Son to be circumcifed and obedient to the law for man; grant me the true circumcifion of the Spirit, that my heart and all my members being mortified from all worldly and fleshly lufts, I may in all things obey thy bleffed will, through the fame thy Son Jefus Chrift our Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

O God,

A Prayer for Affiftance of Grace.

God, the strength of all them that put their trust in thee; mercifully accept my prayers, and because, thro' the weakness of my mortal nature, I can do no good thing without thee; grant me the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments, I may please thee both in will and deed, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer

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