A COLLECTION OF PRAYERS FOR VARIOUS OCCASIONS. Chiefly collected from the LITURGY, and adapted to private use. PREFACE. F there is a God, and if man is an accountable IF and dependant creature: if he is commanded to worship his Maker in fpirit and in truth: if it requires great ftrength of mind to find words whilft we are worshipping, proper to be uttered, the majority of the Christian world will give their voice for Forms of prayer. The more fimple these are, the more easily the head and heart may keep pace, and mutually affift each other. "Prayer ought to be the continual exercise of life; it is to the foul what meat and drink are to the body. It is the univerfal inftrument by which we fetch down bleffings from above, and become poffeffed of whatever we want. It is our defence and prefervative against fin, and against temptation; the fecurity of our virtue, and the most efficacious means to advance it. Prayer is the wings of the foul, to raise it up above this lower world to the God above; with whom the more we converse, the more we become transformed into his nature. Whatever anticipations of heaven there can be on earth; whatever foretaftes Chriftians have in the body body of the happiness of eternity, they are all brought about by the means of prayer. None of us have any grounds to expect the mercies of God, if we never afk for fuch mercies. It might feem abfurd to recommend prayers conftantly Both in the morning and at night, yet it is too ap parent that many neglect them. To plead want of time to him who gives us time, as it were on pur pofe to worship him, feems to be an abfolute afMay we not pray front to the Majefty of heaven. whilft we fit or walk, if we have no opportunity to fall down on our knees in fecret? But when we pray, to collect our thoughts, fo that our hearts may keep pace with our tongues, is doubtlefs as effential a duty as it is to pray at all: and for the fame reason, short prayers are far preferable to long ones. The chief part of these which follow are collected from the Liturgy, and adapted to one person, and private use ; but the arrangement is new. It is but ufing the plural, and they again revert to their established form. I hope that in the liberties which I have used with fome of them, nothing is loft of the purity or dignity, and that rather more fimplicity is added, than any taken away. PRAYERS. PRA Y Y ER S. 1. For Affiftance under all Wants. ALmighty God, who haft promised to hear the petitions of all thofe who implore thy mercy. in the name of Christ, I beseech thee mercifully incline thine ears unto me, who now make my prayers and fupplications unto thee; and grant that those things which I faithfully ask according to thy will, I may effectually obtain to the relief of my neceffities, and to the fetting forth of thy glory, through Jefus Chrift my Redeemer. Amen. 2. For Industry, Application to Business, and Refignation to Providence. Lord God Almighty, who haft ordained by thy unchangeable decrees, that man fhall eat his bread in toil and labor, give me, I befeech thee, an induftrious difpofition. Let my diligence and innocency go hand in hand, and administer to their mutual fupport, that my days may pass in safety and comfort. Teach me an entire fubmiffion to thy will, and give me so true a relish of my condition, that the life life of my blessed Saviour, and the glorious example of humility which he hath fet before my eyes, may appear incomparably preferable to any earthly advantage! This I beg, O Lord, for his fake, who redeemed this finful world. Amen. 3. A Prayer for a Seaman being at Sea, or at Home, or Abroad. God, the Almighty Creator and Governor of the world, who holdest the winds in thy hands, from whom cometh my present safety and eternal falvation; I have often indulged my finful lufts, and wrathful paffions, contrary to my vows and covenants made with thee, and thy revealed word. I beseech thee, for Christ's fake, be merciful unto me; pardon my fins, and let not thine anger cut me off in my tranfgreffions. I behold thy mighty wonders in the great waters: give me grace to adore thy wisdom and thy power: and grant that my lips may never profanely utter thy great and glorious name, nor curfe men, who are made after thine image and likeness. Make thy gofpel to fhine forth in the lives of all that profess it, that all nations may admire and embrace it. And grant that I may approve myself fo faithful in my chriftian duties, that I may be an example |