Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

graciously pleased to take me, and all belonging to me, into thy fatherly Care and Protection; Keep us in Health and Safety, in Peace and Innocence, in Love and Charity; and grant that whilft we are paffing through Things temporal, we may be daily preparing for thofe better Things that are eternal, through Jefus Chrift our bleffed Lord, and only Saviour; in whofe Name and Words, I commend to thy Mercy and Protection, myself and all Mankind. Our Father, &c.

A Prayer for Monday Noon, or any Intermediate Time of the Day; for God's Grace to perfevere in a Chriftian Courfe of Life.

O MOST gracious and bleffed Lord God! Thou art the Author and Finisher of every good Work; without Thee nothing is ftrong, nothing is holy; without thy preventing and affifting Grace, we are but. as Duft before the Wind, carried to and fro, and eafily driven away by every flight Temptation.

O Lord, I am thy Servant, dedicated to Thee long ago by holy Baptifm, and devoted to thy Obedience by thofe folemn

Engage

Engagements, which were then made on my Behalf, and which I have fince [often] renewed at thy holy Table, from a serious Senfe and Conviction, that thy Service is the moft perfect Freedom, and that without thy Favour and Love, I am of all Creatures the most miserable.

O my God; I am fully perfuaded, that it is my Happiness and Privilege, as well as my Duty, to love, adore, and ferve Thee. I am feriously convinced, that there is no Pleafure like that of a good Confcience; and that the greatest Satisfactions in this World, are not worthy to be compared with that Fulness of Joy, which is in thy Prefence for evermore: But alas! I am fenfible that my Nature is corrupt; and I know by fad Experience, that I am too prone to.. offend Thee, and too apt to forget the Vows and Refolutions, which I have made to: serve and obey Thee.

I befeech Thee, therefore, O moft merciful Father, who knoweft whereof we are made, and remembereft that we are but Duft, that thou wouldst be pleased, of thy great Goodness, to pity the Weaknesses of thy poor Creature, and to vouchfafe me the Affiftance of thy Grace and Holy Spirit, that I may not be tempted above what I am

E 6

able

able to bear, but through thy Almighty Power may be enabled to perfevere in my Christian Warfare, and fuccefsfully to encounter thofe Enemies of my Soul, the World, the Flesh, and the Devil.

O let me never faint, or tire in my Duty, nor for the Sake of any Thing this World can offer me, be unmindful of the great and important Concern of my Salvation. Give me fuch a Zeal for thy Service, that the doing thy Will may be my greatest Joy and Satisfaction; and imprint on my Mind fuch a lively Senfe of thy Love, as may inflame my Heart with the moft devout and ardent Affections; that being every Day more and more weaned from this World, I may look upon all its Honours, Pleafures and Profits, with that Coldnefs and Indifference, which becomes the Servant of the bleffed Jesus.

Root out of my Heart, O God, by the powerful Efficacy of thy Grace, all Pride, and Envy, and Covetoufnefs; all Bitternefs, Anger, and Malice, and whatever elfe is contrary to the Laws and Precepts of the Gofpel; and fow in my Mind the Seeds of true Religion and Goodness, that I may bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit, Love, Joy, Peace, Long-fuffering, Gentlenefs,

Good

Goodnefs, Faithfulnefs, Meeknefs, Temperance, and be fruitful in every good Word and Work, and that my whole Life may be one continued A&t of an humble and dutiful Obedience to thy divine Command

ments.

O Lord, ftrengthen my Faith, fortify my Mind, and give me an honeft and upright Heart, that nothing may be ever able to shake my Integrity, but that notwith-. ftanding all the Allurements and Temptations of this World, I may continue stedfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the Work of the Lord; that being faithful unto Death, I may at last obtain that Crown of Righteoufnefs, which Thou haft promised to them, who by patient Continuance in Well-doing, feek for Glory, and Honour, and Immortality, through the Merits and for the Sake of thy bleffed Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Monday Evening.

O THOU Great and Glorious God, who takest Pleasure in thofe that come unto. Thee with Faith; look down I befecch Thee, with Pity and Compaffion upon

3

me,

me, who fall low on my Knees before Thee, confeffing that my Life has been in divers. Inftances very provoking to thy Divine Majefty.

What fhall I fay unto Thee, O thou Preferver of Men! O let the infinite Merits of my dear Redeemer make Satisfaction for me; and for his Sake, I moft earnestly befeech Thee, to be merciful unto me in the pardon and Forgivenefs of all my Sins. Lay not to my Charge, O Lord, the Sins which I have this Day been guilty of; but let thofe, and all other the Follies of my Life past, be for ever blotted out of thy Remembrance; and receive me, I befeech Thee, into thy Favour, which I value above all the Happiness of this World.

Give me a lively Senfe of the Folly and Danger of Sin, that I may truly and fincerely abhor that which is Evil, cleave to that which is Good, and with an unwearied Diligence follow after the Things which make for my everlasting Peace.

But, O Lord, because I am a weak and frail Creature, and am encompaffed about with many Temptations, O do Thou vouchfafe to strengthen and affift me with thy Grace, that through thy moft mighty Power, I may be enabled to withstand all

the

« ElőzőTovább »