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death may not be as the nine lepers;x who did not return to give thanks, or as Hezekiah, who rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him ;y but that they may so offer praise, as to glorify thee, and so order their conversation, as to see the salvation of God.z

Those whom the Lord has chastened sore, yet has not delivered over unto death; O that they may therefore praise him, who is become their salvation.a

9. When we pray with, or for those parents, whose children are a grief to them, or such as they are in fear

about.

Lord, give to parents the desires of their souls concerning their children, which is to see them walking in the truth ;h form Christ in their souls.c O give them betimes to know the God of their fathers, and to serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind.d Let the children of youth, that are as arrows in the hand, be directed aright, that those parents may have reason to think themselves happy that have their quiver full of them, and that they may never be arrows in their hearts.e

Let those foolish children, that are the grief of the fa ther, and the heaviness of her that bare them, that mock at their parents, and despise to obey them, be brought to repentance; and let those that have been unprofitable, now at length be made profitable.h O turn the hearts of the children to their fathers,i even the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,k that they may be made ready a people prepared for the Lord. O show them their work, and their transgression, that they exceeded, and open their ear to discipline.m

10. When we pray with, or for those that are in prison. Those that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron, because they rebelled against the word of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High, give them grace to cry unto thee in their trouble, and in a day of adversity to consider.o

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In their captivity give them to bethink themselves, to humble themselves, and pray, and seek thy face; to repent, saying, We have sinned and have done perversely, and to return to thee with all their heart and with all their soulm and bring their souls out of prison, that they may praise thy name.n bring them into the glorious liberty of the children of God, out of the bondage of corruption.o Let the Son make them free, and then they shall be free indeed.p

Those that are wrongfully imprisoned, be thou with them, as thou wast with Joseph in the prison, and show them mercy.q Hear the poor, and despise not thy prisoners, but let their sorrowful sighing come before thee, and according to the greatness of thy power preserve those that are unjustly appointed to die.r

11. When we pray with, or for condemned malefactors, that have but a little while to live.

O look with pity upon those, the number of whose months is to be cut off in the midst of their sins :8 0 give them repentance unto salvation, as thou didst to the thief upon the cross,t that they may own the justice of God in all that is brought upon them, that he has done right, but they have done wickedly.u O turn them, and they shall be turned, that being instructed they may smite upon the thigh, and may be ashamed, yea, even confounded, because they do bear the reproach of their own iniquity.v O pluck them as brands out of the fire :w let them be delivered from the wrath to come.x

Enable them to give glory to God by making confession,y that they may find mercy,z and that others may hear and fear, and do no more presumptuously.a

Lord Jesus, remember them now, thou art in thy kingdom jb O let them not be hurt of the second death :c Deliver them from going down to the pit ;d Though the flesh

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be destroyed,e O let the spirit be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. The God of infinite mercy be merciful to these sinners,g these sinners against their own souls.h

12. When we pray with, or for those that are at sea. Let those that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, observe the works of the Lord there, and his wonders in the deep :i And acknowledge what a great God he is whom the winds and the seas obey ;k who hath placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over./

O preserve them through the paths of the seas,m and in perils by waters, and perils by robbers.n If the stormy wind be raised which lifteth up the waves, so that they are at their wit's end, deliver them out of their distresses, make the storm a calm, and bring them to their desir ed haven And, Q that those who are delivered may praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.o

CHAP. VII,

Of the conclusion of our prayers.

WE are commanded to pray always, to pray without ceasing, to continue in prayer, because we must always have in us a disposition to the duty,must be constant to it, and never grow weary of it, or throw it up; and yet we cannot be always praying, we must come down from this mount: nor may we be over long, so as to make the duty a task or a toil to ourselves, or those that join with us. We have other work that calls for our attendance. Jacob wrestles with the angel; but he must go,

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for the day breaks: We must therefore think of conclud ing. The prayers of David the son of Jesse must be ended. But how shall we conclude, so as to have the impressions of the duty kept always in the imagination of the thought of our heart?

1. We may then sum up our requests in some comprehensive petitions, at the conclusion of the whole matter. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Christ Jesus.a

Now the Lord direct our hearts into the love of God, and into a patient waiting for Christ.b

And the God of all grace, who hath called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that we have suffered awhile, make us perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle us.c

And now, Lord, what wait we for?d Truly our hope is even in thee, and on thee do we depend to be to us a God all sufficient.e

Do for us exceeding abundantly above what we are able to ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us :g and supply all our needs according to thy riches in glory by Christ Jesus.h

2. We may then beg for the audience and acceptance of our poor weak prayers for Christ's sake.

Now the God of Israel grant us the things we have requested of him.i

Let the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer.k

Let thine eyes be open unto the supplication of thy servants, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call unto thee for; for they be thy people, and thine inheritance./

O our God, let thine ears be attent unto the prayers that we have made: O turn not away the face of thine anoint

a Heb. 13 20.

d Palm 39 7.
Ph. 4 19.
41 Kings 8. 51, 52,

b 2 Thess. 3.5.
e Gen. 17. 1.
i 1 Sam. 1. 17.

c 1 Pet. 5. 10.
g Eph. 3 20.
Psalm 19. 14,

be destroyed,e O let the spirit be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. The God of infinite mercy be merciful to these sinners,g these sinners against their own souls.h

12. When we pray with, or for those that are at sea. Let those that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, observe the works of the Lord there, and his wonders in the deep :i And acknowledge what a great God he is whom the winds and the seas obey ;k who hath placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over./

O preserve them through the paths of the seas,m and in perils by waters, and perils by robbers.n If the stormy wind be raised which lifteth up the waves, so that they are at their wit's end, deliver them out of their distresses, make the storm a calm, and bring them to their desir ed haven And, Q that those who are delivered may praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.o

CHAP. VII,

Of the conclusion of our prayers.

WE are commanded to pray always, to pray without ceasing, to continue in prayer, because we must always have in us a disposition to the duty,must be constant to it, and never grow weary of it, or throw it up; and yet we cannot be always praying, we must come down from this mount: nor may we be over long, so as to make the duty a task or a toil to ourselves, or those that join with us. We have other work that calls for our attendance. Jacob wrestles with the angel; but he must go,

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